The Department of Veterans Affairs is capping off 2020 with a sobering reality that over 6,600 of its patients died from coronavirus-related complications this year, and more than 151,000 were infected with the virus.
The bulk were reported towards the back half of 2020, when cases were surging across the country.
The department’s death toll continues to rise, with the VA reporting 6,607 total deaths from the virus. That number equates to just over 22 deaths per day since March 11, when the outbreak was declared a pandemic, and signals that COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, is more deadly among veterans than suicide, which takes about 17 veterans per day.
“As vaccines become more widely available, we will continue to implement our plan to offer them to any veteran or employee who wants one at no cost,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement.
The department has administered over 1.1 million COVID-19 tests to VA patients, and more than 5,000 veterans who live in VA community living centers and patients with spinal cord injuries have received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the Department of Defense. Over 50,000 VA health care employees have also received the vaccine.
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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