{"id":57564,"date":"2020-05-01T15:27:48","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T15:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/05\/01\/veterans-affairs-adds-2000-new-coronavirus-cases-in-five-days-deaths-top-500\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:10:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:10:45","slug":"veterans-affairs-adds-2000-new-coronavirus-cases-in-five-days-deaths-top-500","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/veterans\/2020\/05\/01\/veterans-affairs-adds-2000-new-coronavirus-cases-in-five-days-deaths-top-500\/","title":{"rendered":"Veterans Affairs adds 2,000 new coronavirus cases in five days, deaths top 500"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans Affairs patient deaths from coronavirus<\/a> topped 500 overnight and cases rose to nearly 9,000 as the illness continues to spread within the department\u2019s health system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Friday morning, 8,798 patients had contracted the fast-spreading virus<\/a>, an increase of more than 2,000 cases within VA in the last five days. On April 2, the system had fewer than 2,000 total cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of sites have recorded more than 100 coronavirus cases among patients. The hardest-hit sites are all in the New York City area, while department hospitals in New Orleans, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. have all recorded more than 200 cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Friday morning, VA has seen 512 deaths from the illness. That\u2019s up 88 cases in the last five days. On April 1, the system had reported only 53 deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\t