The body of a man found dead in his West Waco apartment tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the death toll of the disease to three in McLennan County, officials confirmed Monday.

A postmortem autopsy was performed on the 61-year-old Waco man after a neighbor found the man’s body Wednesday evening. Because the man had been ill and showing signs of the coronavirus before his death, Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley ordered the autopsy to be conducted by American Forensics, a private lab in Mesquite.

Hensley said the man’s body tested positive for coronavirus and McLennan County officials and Waco police were notified Sunday.

The first McLennan County resident to die from causes related to COVID-19 was G.W. Carver Middle School Principal Phillip Perry, 49, on March 31. Perry reportedly had underlying health conditions.

A 69-year-old man with underlying health conditions died at a local hospital Thursday morning from COVID-19 complications, Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver said last week.

The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District reported two new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday. The total number of cases is 71 with three patients hospitalized and listed in critical condition.

Thirty six McLennan County cases have recovered and 107 people are being actively monitored, the health district reported Monday.

— WACOTRIB