The death toll from COVID-19 locally climbed to 12 Feb. 4 after county health officials announced three heretofore unknown fatalities associated with the illness.

In a press release, Public Health Manager Jennifer McCully said that the state Office of Vital Statistics found the discrepancy. Heading into February, local records listed nine fatalities associated with the pandemic.

The Office of Vital Statistics reviews death certificates statewide and refers any deaths caused by a communicable disease to the Department of Health and Human Services. The trio of deaths turned up during this process, McCully said.

It was not immediately clear when the deaths occurred.

McCully cited several reasons why the health department missed the pandemic-related deaths, including overlooked lab work or an inability to reach the family to confirm a cause of death.

As of Feb. 3, the county was home to 65 patients suffering from coronavirus. Seven were hospitalized. Since the pandemic began, 1,357 individuals in Lincoln County have recovered from the virus.