CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two hospital nurses in West Virginia have died from the coronavirus, officials said.
West Virginia University Health System President and CEO Albert Wright said Jeannette Williams Parker was a nurse at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, news outlets reported.
According to her obituary, Parker, 48, of Rivesville, died on Sept. 30.
“Jeannette’s passing is also an unwelcome reminder that COVID-19 remains with us,” Wright said. “Our collective hope is that one day soon we can resume our daily lives and put all of this behind us. Unfortunately, we just aren’t there yet, and regrettably, the loss of someone who was so cherished as ‘Nettie’ reminds us that we still have some tough days ahead.”
Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch said Wednesday that a nurse at Mildred-Mitchell Bateman Hospital, a state-run facility in Huntington, also died from COVID-19.
“This was one of ours and we are just deeply saddened,” Crouch said.
Gov. Jim Justice said during a news conference Wednesday that “we should continue to remember all of these first line responders. These are the real heroes. Now we have lost two nurses within our state.”