VISALIA, Calif. — Tulare County Health and Human Services confirmed that the first person within the county has died from COVID-19.

The county health department issued the following statement on Saturday March, 28:

"Our deepest sympathies are extended to the COVID-19 patient who passed away today. Keep all our positive COVID-19 positive individuals in your thoughts. Please stay home and stay safe.The Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency is diligent about the protection of patient privacy, in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and for this reason we cannot release any other information about the patient. The information we release about the positive COVID-19 cases in Tulare County is carefully curated to provide useful information to our community members, while also excluding information that would lead to the identification of patients. This is a protection, provided by law, that is extended to everyone."