Stamford Coronavirus Updates: First Resident Dies From Virus

STAMFORD, CT — City officials confirmed Wednesday a Stamford resident and former member of he city's Board of Representatives, has died as a result of the new coronavirus. This is the first city resident to die as a result of the virus, also referred to as COVID-19.

Arthur Augustyn, a spokesperson for the city of Stamford, confirmed Wednesday evening in an email to Patch that former board member Anthony "Tony" Spadaccini has died from COVID-19 complications. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

Mayor David Martin provided the following statement:

"I am saddened to share with you that one of Stamford's own has passed away from the deadly coronavirus," Mayor David Martin said in a statement. "We have lost a husband and a father, and our hearts go out to the family. While I believe most people in Stamford are taking this pandemic seriously, this death should be a wake-up call to those who are not."

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.

According to numbers released Wednesday by the state Department of Health, there are 48 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Stamford.