Statement from Mayor Kim Driscoll Following City’s First COVID-19 Death

Seal of the City of Salem

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll offered the following statement on today’s announcement that the City of Salem had lost its first resident to COVID-19.

“It is with great sadness I share that earlier today we got word of the first coronavirus related death in Salem.

This hits particularly close to home for me and many others, as the individual was an employee of the Salem Market Basket, our largest grocer and a location frequented by myself and many other residents. My heart is heavy with this tragic news and I offer our deepest condolences to this individual’s family, friends and co-workers. Please know that our community stands with you in offering our support and love during this difficult time. Even though we're socially distanced from each other, many people throughout Salem will be feeling the sadness of this loss.

Out of respect for the family we are not releasing any personal details. While this will be our city’s first death related to this virus, we fully realize every confirmed case and every loss is an individual human being who will be missed by those who knew them and who will be forever lost to our broader community.

All of our current efforts are designed to reduce the human toll of this disease and this loss underscores the seriousness of this public health emergency. Please know that this terrible news only redoubles my resolve to ensure that we are doing all that we can to fight this virus and to keep the pain in our community to a minimum. We must all continue to be vigilant.”