WASHINGTON — A soldier in the New Jersey Army National Guard died Saturday after testing positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon announced Monday. The guardsman, who tested positive for COVID-19 and had been hospitalized since March 21, died Saturday, the Pentagon said in a statement. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy identified the guardsman as 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,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a 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.” “Our thoughts are with his wife, children, and their family,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wrote on Twitter. It was not immediately clear if the guardsman had been participating in duties across the New York tri-state area to mitigate coronavirus outbreak response. His age was not provided. The nationwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic climbed past 3,000 on Monday, the deadliest day yet.