Winthrop man is state's first Covid-19 death

Winthrop officials announced today that an 87-year-old resident of the town is the first Massachusetts resident to die of Covid-19 infection.

In a statement, officials said:

You will hear from the media and from the state and federal government that the victim was an 87-year-old man with underlying health conditions. The latter is as irrelevant to us as community leaders as it is to the family of our departed resident. The fact is that this terrible virus has taken a life in our community, and that loss of life gives each of us pause and fills us with sorrow.

We are aware that our resident is the first patient to die from COVID-19 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

We have one other resident who was diagnosed last week and continues to recover at home.

We have been in contact with the family, and we relay from the family that they are deeply saddened and have requested privacy, and we ask that everyone respect their wishes during this difficult time.