View the map of current COVID-19 cases in VA health system as total nears 2,000, deaths near 70

"Since Veterans Affairs leaders reported the first death of a VA patient from coronavirus in mid-March, the number of positive cases — and fatalities — in the department’s health system has risen dramatically.

As of April 2, there have been 68 patients who have died from the illness, the majority of them in the last week. That number increased by 15 from the day before.

VA officials have offered only partial details of the deaths, but so far all of the deaths have been among patients aged 50 or older.

Across all VA sites, 1,921 patients in VA care have tested positive for the fast-spreading virus — an almost 20 percent increase from the day before."