Washington state health officials speak about the first patient death from novel coronavirus in the United States
Washington State has announced on Saturday three new cases of the virus including the person who died in King County.
The Trump administration has announced on Saturday additional travel restrictions affecting Iran, Italy, and South Korea. This is in response to the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. following its first death from the virus.
The travel ban will be extended to foreign nationals who visited the three countries in the past 14 days, said by Vice President Pence. Furthermore, the State Department is also increasing its travel advisory to Americans not to travel to parts of Italy and South Korea affected by the virus.
President Trump said that the United States was ready to help Iranians amidst the virus outbreak. "If we can help the Iranians, we have the greatest health care professionals in the world," he said, adding that "all they have to do is ask."
To calm the general public, Trump appealed to the media and to everybody involved not to do anything to incite panic, because there is no reason to panic at all, he said this after the worst week in the stock market since 2018.
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The first coronavirus patient to die in the United States was confined in Kirkland, Washington. Health officials said that the patient who died was a man in his 50s with an underlying condition. This was reported right before the White House's news conference.
Moreover, they have also announced an additional two new cases to a nursing facility in Seattle and said there are more than 50 people who begun to show symptoms. A healthcare worker and a resident of Life Care Center of Kirkland were tested positive for the virus. Currently, there are 288 staff and residents in the facility that are vulnerable to the disease should an outbreak occur.
The state has already been declared as a statement of emergency by Governor Jay Inslee, allowing the use of the Washington National Guard- if necessary, and directing state agencies to do everything possible in assisting the communities.
There is no evidence that the person who died has a travel history recently or had contact with someone who had the virus, according to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield.
Experts warn against cases without known origin saying that this is a worrying sign that the virus is spreading in the United States. Cases similar to this has also been reported on Friday, which involves an employee of a school near Portland, a high school student from the north of Seattle, a man in Southeastern England, and a woman in Santa Clara County.
Australia Announces its First Coronavirus Death
The 78-year-old man who contracted the virus from spending time in Diamond Princess, the cruise ship that docked in Japan, died on Saturday in Perth Hospital. He was tested positive for coronavirus on the flight back after they were quarantined for treatment last week and was placed in isolation at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, reported by Andrew Robertson the Western Australia chief health officer.
They have also put the man's wife in isolation after tested positive last Friday. She was able to talk to her husband before he passed away, and she was extremely upset.
What Other Developments Have There Been?
- South Korea has the highest number of cases outside of China. They have already mobilized their army on Saturday to disinfect large parts of Daegu.
- Italy is the worst affected country in Europe with 650 cases and 17 deaths. Serie A football league has decided to cancel their upcoming games
- Iran's total number of cases has already reached 593 patients and 43 deaths
- Qatar has one reported case, a Qatari woman who was evacuated from Iran
- Ecuador confirms its first case
- England reported three new cases making it a total of 23
- Brazil has confirmed the second case who recently traveled to Italy.
- China's factory activity has fallen to a record low in February as manufacturers closed their operations to avoid spreading the disease. A significant decrease in nitrogen dioxide supply in the country is "at least partly" linked to economic slowdown following the outbreak.
