A member of the New Jersey National Guard died on Saturday a week after hospitalization, becoming the first US soldier among the victims of a new type of coronavirus, Fox News reported referring to Pentagon chief Mark Esper.

The victim was a National Guard assistant doctor, Capt. Douglas Linn Hickok.

"Today is a sad day for the Department of Defense as we have lost our first American service member -- active, reserve or Guard -- to coronavirus," Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said in the statement. "This is a stinging loss for our military community and our condolences go out to his family, friends, civilian co-workers and the entire National Guard community.”

According to the source, New Jersey has 13,386 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state. And 161 people have died statewide.