Coronavirus News: New Jersey National Guardsman becomes US military's 1st member to die of COVID-19

WABC logo
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
(NJ National Guard)
NJ National Guard

NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- The Pentagon announced on Monday the first U.S. Military service member death from COVID-19, a New Jersey Army National Guardsman.

The guardsman died on Saturday, but his passing was not announced until Monday by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at a news conference.

Murphy sent the following tweet to express his condolences:

The individual had tested positive for coronavirus and had been hospitalized since March 21.

"This is a stinging loss for our military community, and our condolences go out to his family, friends, civilian co-workers and the entire National Guard community," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said.

A spokesman for the New Jersey National Guard, Lt. Col. Barbara Brown, confirmed that the guardsman who died was not on active duty when he contracted the disease.

There are currently 251 New Jersey National Guardsmen who have been activated to assist with the COVID-19 response.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the testing centers

See how our communities are making a difference

Free educational resources for parents and children

How you can help victims of coronavirus

Where is COVID-19 now? and other resources

Coronavirus news and live updates in New York

Coronavirus news and live updates in New Jersey

Coronavirus news and live updates in Connecticut

New York City updates

Long Island updates

How coronavirus is leaving ghost towns in its path

Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?

Social distancing: What is it and how does it stop the spread of coronavirus?

Coronavirus closures and cancelations

Coronavirus tips: What Americans need to know

Related Information

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus

New Jersey Department of Health

John Hopkins' coronavirus tracking dashboard