Abington man first to die from COVID-19 in Montgomery County

Montgomery County officials today announced the first death from COVID-19. The deceased is a 72-year-old male Abington Township resident who had been hospitalized for several days. He passed on March 21st.

“Today, we are deeply saddened to announce the first loss of life to COVID-19 in Montgomery County. On behalf of our entire community, we extend our most heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of this individual,” said Dr. Valerie A. Arkoosh, Chair, Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. “While most people with COVID-19 exhibit mild or moderate symptoms, this loss of life underscores the urgent need for everyone to stay at home, unless absolutely necessary, to protect individuals who are particularly vulnerable to developing more serious illness, including the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, as well as our critical workforces like healthcare workers and first responders.”

Additionally, Montgomery County officials and the Office of Public Health reported 33 additional individuals who tested positive with COVID-19 since yesterday’s update, bringing the countywide total to 110 cases. New cases include four people in Abington and three in Cheltenham.

“While this is the largest single-day total of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Montgomery County, given the increased access to testing over the past week, including the Community Based Testing Center which opened on Friday, we fully anticipated seeing an increase in the number of positive individuals,” said Arkoosh.

You can view all the data here.