Two 55-year-old men in the Florida Keys have died from health problems related to COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.
Keith White of Key West died on March 25 in Lower Keys Medical Center. Another 55-year-old man died the next day at Lower Keys Medical Center, but officials have not yet reported where he lived. Both men are said to have suffered from additional, underlying health problems, or “comorbidities,” according to the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County.
Although patient privacy laws prohibit health department officials from releasing specific or identifying information, the family and friends of Keith “Mr. Keith” White, took to Facebook and local media outlets to share the sad news of their friend and father.
White had previously worked as a chef at the Casa Marina Resort, but in recent years was better known for helping people through the 12-step recovery process.
White is survived by his wife, three children and six grandchildren, according to a story by Janine Stanwood with Local 10 News in Miami.
“I just want everyone to know: Stay safe. Keep safe. Those precautions they’re telling us to do — just take heed — because it is real,” said White’s daughter, Ikema Williams, who was interviewed for the story.
“You don’t know what hurt feels like until you’ve endured it,” Ikema Wlliams wrote on Facebook after losing her father. “No hurt is big nor small. It just hurts.”
White’s death is classified as “travel-related” by health department officials, who noted that Keith, an Arkansas native who came to the Keys in the 1980s, had traveled to New York.
Additional details about the second man’s death were not available as of Sunday, April 5, but his death not was not classified as travel related.
