First Coronavirus-Related U.S. Death Reported in Washington State
The first Coronavirus death in the U.S. has been reported in Washington state.
The Washington State Department of Health on Saturday reported that one patient with the infection has died in King County, Washington. The name of the patient, along with details surrounding the case, were not disclosed.
King County officials said they will hold a news conference at 4 pm ET to provide additional details.
In addition to the one death, new cases have arisen in Washington. Officials in Washington said on Friday that a King County man in his 50s with confirmed travel to Daegu, South Korea, had tested positive, as well as a Snohomish County 18-year-old with no travel history.
The Centers for Disease Control director Robert Redfield said at a briefing Saturday that there are now 22 cases of coronavirus in the U.S.
Confirmed cases have surfaced in California, Washington, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, Texas and Massachusetts.
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On Friday, a second case in California was confirmed — the first being Thursday near Sacramento. The California Department of Public Health said that the individual in Santa Clara county had no known exposure to the virus through travel or close contact with a known infected individual, which makes it the second possible instance of the Coronavirus via person-to-person in the state.
“This is a fluid situation but we have plans and protocols in place for public health events like this to protect the health and safety of Californians and the state’s visitors,” said Dr. Sonia Angell, Director of the California Department of Public Health and State Health Officer, in a statement. “We are actively working with the CDC, with local governments, health facilities, and health care providers across the state to respond as new cases are identified.”
As of Saturday, about 2,924 people have died from coronavirus and more than 85,406 cases have been confirmed in 60 countries, with most stemming from China.
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