Photo: Mario Tama / Getty Images
Monday, October 7
A Washington state senator died at age 52 shortly after having COVID-19
A senator from the state of Washington died one month after confirm with a local radio station that he was in El Salvador and was sick with COVID – 19 , according to CNN.
The family of the state senator Doug Ericksen announced his death through a statement issued Saturday by the Republican Caucus of the Washington State Senate, but did not indicate the cause of his death. death.
“It breaks our hearts to share that our husband and father passed away on Friday 17 from December. Please keep our family in your prayers and thank you for continuing to respect our privacy at this extremely difficult time, ”said the statement, which did not offer information on the cause of his death .
Ericksen represented the district 42 of Whatcom County, from Bellingham to the Canadian border, according to its website. He was elected to the State Senate in 2010 after serving six terms in the State House.
Ericksen told KIRO Radio in November that he was ill with the coronavirus while in El Salvador. The station’s news director said in a tweet that Ericksen told them he couldn’t leave the country and that there were no monoclonal antibody treatments available.
BREAKING: GOP State Senator Doug Ericksen confirms to @KIRORadio he’s in rough shape with Covid. He says he’s currently in El Salvador & unable to leave the country. Monoclonal antibodies not available there. He’s asking House and Senate R’s to find a way to get those meds to him pic.twitter.com/zdux3sbJtZ
— Charlie Harger (@KIROCharlie) November 12, 2021
In an email sent to legislators in Washington state on 11 November, Ericksen said he “took a trip to El Salvador and tested positive for COVID shortly after his arrival,” and asked for help getting the treatment to fly to the country to aid his recovery, according to the Seattle Times, which Said he got the email from a state Senate staff member.
Ericksen eventually arranged a medical evacuation flight to a Florida hospital, a former colleague of his told The Bellingham Herald. On Saturday there was no information on where Ericksen was when he died, whether or not he was vaccinated against COVID – 19.
Ericksen had repeatedly called for the resignation of the Democratic governor Jay Inslee , in numerous posts on his website. The senator fought, through protests and legislation, Inslee’s orders and mandates aimed at combating the spread of the coronavirus. His last press release, dated November 1, said that the state governor was the “national leader in an authoritarian government.”
“Throughout this COVID situation, Inslee has been out of step with the rest of the country,” Ericksen said in the statement. “He says his act of revenge was based on science, but it’s certainly not the science understood by public health officials and elected leaders in every other state in the union.”
Inslee released a statement Saturday in response to the news of Ericksen’s death, saying that he and his wife send “our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Senator Doug Ericksen. Our hearts go out to them. ”
Washington lawmakers reacted Saturday afternoon with shock and sadness, according to the Seattle Times. Senate Minority Leader John Braun , Republican from Centralia, said he was thinking about the Ericksen family. “It’s heartbreaking news, what do you do, besides feeling for them, you pray for them”, said Braun , who was calling the caucus members to inform them.
Senator Phil Fortunato, Auburn Republican, he said of Ericksen’s death: “It’s tragic, the guy was one of the smartest people I know, and his floor speeches, his knowledge of environmental issues, they were just fantastic.”
It may interest you:
– Hospitalizations for COVID increase – 19 in California and new cases in Los Angeles
– Biden will speak to the country on Tuesday about the Omicron variant that is increasing COVID cases – 19
– Report Omicron cases in 44 states as COVID cases increase – 19 throughout the US