Health and Healthcare

The 40 Counties Where More Than 1,000 Americans Have Died From COVID-19

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: October 23, 2020 8:20 am

COVID-19 has infected 8,498,360 people in America, a figure that surged 65,353 yesterday as a third wave of the disease spread across almost the entire country, with single-day records for increases in several states. Fatal cases have just passed a milestone of 225,000 and reached 226,314. Many forecasts show the number of deaths will hit 300,000 by year’s end. Nearly 80,000 of these deaths have occurred in just 40 counties out of America’s 3,141.

Several counties are among those hit earliest in the most deadly wave of the pandemic, which started in and around New York City. Deaths soared in late March and remained at high levels for over a month.

The four largest boroughs of the city itself took much of the brunt. New York County, which contains Manhattan, had 2,119 deaths. Bronx County had 3,396, and Kings County, which contains Brooklyn, had 5,103. Queens County had 5,135.

New Jersey counties near New York City also suffered badly. Middlesex (1,441 deaths), Passaic (1,260), Essex (2,137), Union (1,364), Bergen (2,055), Ocean (1,059) and Hudson (1,524) Counties all had over 1,000 fatalities. Hudson and Essex Counties are just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Bergen County is across the river from the Bronx, and Union County is across from Brooklyn.

Two other areas adjacent to New York City also were hit hard. These were Westchester County (1,470 coronavirus deaths) to the north and Nassau County (2,208) to the east. Fairfield County, Connecticut, the county closest to New York City in that state, had 1,429 fatal cases.

Parts of the Midwest also were hit relatively early. Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit, the most impoverished large city in America, had 3,031 deaths. Oakland County, adjacent to the north has had 1,228 deaths. Macomb County, also to the north, has had 1,070.

Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago, had 5,382. That is also the second-most populous county in America, with 5,180,493 residents.

The hardest-hit state, based on confirmed cases, is California with 896,424. It has posted 17,266 deaths. Los Angeles County, the largest county in America, with a population of 10,105,518, has had 6,877 deaths, the highest count of any county in the nation. Adjacent Riverside County has had 1,272, and nearby Orange County has had 1,410. San Bernardino County, just to the east of Los Angeles, has had 1,021 deaths.

Texas is the hardest-hit state after California, based on confirmed cases at 891,074. The state has posted 17,760 deaths. Harris County, home to Houston, has had 2,750 fatal cases. It is the third-most populous county, with 4,698,619 residents. Dallas County has recorded 1,205 COVD-19 fatalities.

Florida is the third hardest-hit state, based on confirmed cases at 768,091. A total of 16,470 fatal cases have been recorded in the state. Miami-Dade County has had 3,561 fatal cases. Just to its north, Palm Beach County had 1,510.

As the third wave of COVID-19 continues through the rest of this year and perhaps into early 2021, it is almost certain that the list of counties with over 1,000 deaths will grow.

At the far end of the spectrum, these are the 358 counties where no one has died from COVID-19.

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