Virus third-leading cause of death in 2020
COVID-19 rose to become the third-leading cause of death in Dutchess and Putnam counties in 2020, behind heart disease and cancer, according to mortality data from the state Department of Health.
In Dutchess, the virus killed 264 people that year, while heart disease was the cause of death for 765 people and cancer for 567. Putnam recorded 123 deaths from COVID, 214 for heart disease and 178 for cancer.
The coronavirus also became the third-leading cause of “premature” deaths (before age 75) in Putnam County (overtaking unintentional injuries) and the fourth-leading in Dutchess (ahead of chronic lower respiratory disease). Since the start of the pandemic, 744 residents of Dutchess and 149 in Putnam have died from COVID-19.
Statewide, New York recorded 36,377 deaths from COVID in 2020, making it the second-leading cause of death that year. The state also experienced declines in life expectancy for 2020 that ranged from 1.6 to 3.4 years among various age groups
