A Summit County resident died from COVID-19 earlier this month, according to the Summit County Public Health Department. The death is the fourth in the county due to COVID-19.

The 47-year-old Summit County man died Dec. 7 at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs due to respiratory failure brought on by COVID-19. The man also had other significant health conditions, according to public officials. He tested positive for COVID-19 prior to his death and was transferred from Summit County to Penrose Hospital via Flight for Life.

“It saddens us to lose anyone in our community to this disease, and we extend our deep condolences to his family,” Summit County Public Health Director Amy Wineland said in a news release.

In addition to the four resident deaths due to COVID-19, Summit County also has counted two additional deaths among individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 but died of other causes.

Summit County receives information on COVID-19 deaths from Colorado’s Electronic Disease Reporting System, and data regarding deaths from the disease is collected by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Vital Statistics Program. The program determines just a single underlying cause of death for statistical purposes based on what is listed on the death certificate. There is often a lag between when the death certificate is filed and when the causes of death are determined, according to the county.

Data on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website for deaths due to COVID-19 is available directly from the National Center for Health and Statistics at CDC.gov/nchs/nvss/covid-19.htm.