An El Paso County woman with “underlying health conditions” was the first casualty of COVID-19 in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said Friday. 

The woman was in her 80s, the state department said in a statement. El Paso County Public Health officials did not immediately respond to questions about whether she was living at a nursing home or assisted living center. 

The woman was among the 23 new positive cases announced Friday morning.

“While we were expecting this day, it doesn’t make it any less difficult to hear and share this news,” Gov. Jared Polis said in the statement. “As a state we are in mourning and our hearts go out to the family and loved ones of the Coloradan we lost.”

Polis called the coronavirus pandemic “one of the greatest international public health disasters of our lifetime” in another statement Friday.

A news conference was scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday in Colorado Springs with Polis in attendance. 

“We offer our deepest, heartfelt condolences to the family and are saddened by this news,” said Susan Wheelan with the county health department. “We have a dedicated team of experts working around the clock to protect the health and safety of our community. We are doing everything we can to prevent more loss of lives. We know all of El Paso County, and Colorado, will join us.”