1 woman dead from virus, husband sick

GILROY » An elderly woman has died from COVID-19 in Gilroy, according to city officials, while her husband is ill from the coronavirus.

Sometime last week, Gilroy Fire Department responded to a call for service at the home of a husband and wife in their 80s and 90s, the department said Monday, after which the wife died. On Sunday, county health officials notified the department that the two tested positive for the coronavirus.

On Friday, Santa Clara County Public Health Department officially logged its second death, describing the person as a woman in her 80s.

The firefighters who responded to the call were wearing personal protective equipment, police said, but have been placed under quarantine and self-monitoring out of an abundance of caution.

Mayor Roland Velasco confirmed the death in a Facebook post late Sunday.

“All members of our community play a vital role in slowing the spread through intentional social distancing measures such as limiting gatherings and we encourage all members of the community to follow the guidelines provided by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department,” Velasco wrote. “Please take care of yourselves. Lastly, don’t panic. We will get through this.”

Santa Clara County counted 114 confirmed cases of the virus as of Sunday, the most in the Bay Area.

Forty-eight people have been hospitalized with the illness.

San Mateo County, meanwhile, also reported its first coronavirus-related death on Sunday. The county has 32 cases in total.

San Benito County has three positive cases, with two people recovered and no deaths.