{"id":47909,"date":"2020-05-28T18:50:34","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T18:50:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/05\/28\/va-patient-deaths-from-coronavirus-hit-1200-but-leaders-see-progress\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:59:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:59:21","slug":"va-patient-deaths-from-coronavirus-hit-1200-but-leaders-see-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/05\/28\/va-patient-deaths-from-coronavirus-hit-1200-but-leaders-see-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"VA patient deaths from coronavirus hit 1,200, but leaders see progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans Affairs leaders declared that their coronavirus response in recent months has been a \u201cgreat success,\u201d with active case numbers falling and department hospitals beginning to resume normal operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday<\/a>, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie added that department staff are still \u201croutinely putting their lives on the line and sacrificing time with their families to care for veterans, most of whom are older and are therefore more vulnerable to the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Thursday morning, 1,200 patients in the VA health system have died from complications related to the virus.<\/a> That\u2019s up almost 10 percent from one week ago, and a significant rise from the 512 reported deaths at the start of May.<\/p>\n\n\n\t