HV Marks 3,814 Coronavirus Deaths As U.S. Toll Passes 400,000

A year after the first coronavirus case was confirmed in the United States, the death toll of Americans passed 400,000 Tuesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers who have been tracking the global pandemic.

Across the world, 2,049,813 have died of the disease caused by the coronavirus.

As of Monday, New York had lost 33,224 to the disease since the first case was confirmed in late February — more than 10 percent of them in the Hudson Valley. The second-highest death rate in the state is in Rockland, according to County Executive Ed Day.

• Dutchess County - 311
• Orange - 642
• Putnam - 72
• Rockland - 806
• Ulster - 177
• Westchester - 1,806

(Editor's Note: Fatalities data is taken from county dashboards with the exception of Putnam County, for which data was taken from the New York State COVID-19 tracker.)

After the tragic milestone was announced, Susan R. Bailey, M.D., president of the American Medical Association, released a statement.

"As of this morning, more than 400,000 Americans – a once unimaginable toll – have died of COVID-19. One in every 820 people in our country have died during this pandemic – often alone, typically away from family and friends – comforted only by physicians and nurses in layers of PPE," Dr. Bailey said. "With a more contagious strain of COVID-19 spreading rapidly across the country, the simple steps we’ve advocated for months are more important than ever: wear your mask, practice physical distancing, and wash your hands, to help reduce illness and deaths. Today, vaccine distribution is underway, and there is hope on the horizon. Vaccines are safe, effective, prevent illness and save lives. Protect yourselves and your loved ones by getting the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s your turn."

New strains of the coronavirus, which appear to spread more easily and quickly, have been identified from the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil. The Centers for Disease Control said the UK version could become the predominant strain in the U.S. by March.

"When you talk about possible nightmares this is a possible nightmare," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. "Any of these three strains could be a second wave if the CDC is right."

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