Spotsylvania Youth Soccer Coach Dies From Coronavirus

FREDERICKSBURG, VA — A second person in Spotsylvania County who tested positive for the new coronavirus has died, the county said Monday morning. The man, 54, was married with two teenage boys.

The Rappahannock Area Health District will notify all identified contacts of the man, as well as interview those affected and give instructions on how to protect themselves and others, the Spotsylvania County government said.

The man, Peter Armatis, was a youth soccer coach and board member with the Fredericksburg Football Club, according to the Free Lance-Star. Armatis died last Wednesday morning of presumptive COVID-19 complications, according to the news report. The results to his coronavirus test did not come back until after he had died.

“Any loss to our community is devastating, but it is especially tragic to lose an individual who positively impacted many young lives through his dedication to coaching youth soccer. Our hearts go out to the entire Fredericksburg Football Club family,” Spotsylvania County Battlefield District Board of Supervisor Chris Yakabouski said Monday in a statement.

On Friday night, Armatis' former players and colleagues with the Fredericksburg Football Club held a social-distancing compliant procession through his Spotsylvania County neighborhood in honor of him, according to the Free Lance-Star.

Stacy Armatis said her husband started feeling sick on March 14 when he had the sniffles and a dry cough, the Free Lance-Star reported. He then started having intestinal issues and chest congestion and was admitted to the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center on March 24. Less than 24 hours after being hospitalized, Armatis was moved to the intensive care unit and intubated.

Armatis received a test for coronavirus several days before he died. The results came back positive over the weekend after he had died.

The first person in the Rappahannock Area Health District to die from COVID-19 was a man in his 60s. He was a resident of Spotsylvania County who died March 29 at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center.

The Rappahannock Area Health District serves residents of the City of Fredericksburg and Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.

In the district, 87 people have tested positive for the coronavirus. Stafford County has reported 43 positive cases, followed by 26 in Spotsylvania County, 10 in King George County, seven in Fredericksburg and one case in Caroline County.

Spotsylvania County noted Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending the use of face coverings in public to help slow the spread of the virus in asymptomatic individuals when social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

To lower the risk of spreading the coronavirus, the Virginia Department of Health also encourages everyone to:

• Stay at home to the greatest extent possible.
• Practice social distancing. Maintain at least six feet of space between yourself and other individuals when you must be out in public.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• If you are experiencing symptoms, call your doctor.

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