Richland woman in her 80s dies from COVID-19, officials say

David Mann by David Mann

TRI-CITIES, Wash. — A Richland woman in her 80s with underlying health conditions died at a local hospital over the weekend after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Benton-Franklin Health District.

“Our first thoughts are with the family and loved ones of this woman,” said Dr. Amy Person, Health Officer for Benton and Franklin Counties.

The woman was a resident at Bonaventure of Tri-Cities, a senior living community in Richland. This is the first death attributed to COVID-19 in Benton and Franklin Counties.

Health officials said Bonaventure has been very responsive and BFHD is working closely with them. BFHD has requested assistance from the Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) team from the Washington State Department of Health to aid in the investigation and response at that facility.

People over the age of 60 and those with underlying health conditions are at highest risk for COVID-19 as well as influenza, which is still actively circulating in our area. That means that residents and staff at all types of senior living facilities, including assisted living centers, skilled nursing facilities and adult care homes, are at highest risk.

The health district said the health and safety of the people in Benton and Franklin Counties remains its top priority. The community is encouraged to help prevent the spread of illness by following social distancing and hygiene guidelines and to support the response to this outbreak by staying informed and sharing reliable information.

“We are at the very beginning stages of this investigation and new details and information will emerge over the next days and weeks,” the health district stated.

On Tuesday, the Benton-Franklin Health District announced the first case of COVID-19 in the Tri-Cities area. That case involved a Franklin County woman in her 20s with underlying health conditions. That woman was being treated at a local hospital.