Authorities report 2nd coronavirus death in U.S.
SEATTLE, WA (ABC News) — The coronavirus global death toll has reached nearly 3,000 as countries around the world continue to report their findings to the World Health Organization.
At least 74 cases and two deaths have been confirmed in the U.S., according to authorities.
Washington state officials said Sunday night that a King County resident had died from the coronavirus, making them the second person in the U.S. to die from COVID-19.
The first victim, a man in his 50s, was also a King County resident.
Authorities in Washington state also announced three additional cases, bringing the number of cases there to 10.
A Manhattan woman is New York State’s first confirmed case of the coronavirus, authorities announced Sunday night.
The woman, who is only described as being in her late 30s, contracted the virus while she was traveling in Iran and is currently isolated in her home, said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
“The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York,” he said in a statement.
“From the beginning, we have said it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of coronavirus in New York,” New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said in a statement. “Now our first case has been confirmed.”
“Our health authorities have been in a state of high alert for weeks, and are fully prepared to respond,” he added. “We will continue to ensure New Yorkers have the facts and resources they need to protect themselves.”
Investigators have already identified close contacts of the patient who may have been exposed, and will take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, said said New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot.
“Despite this development, New Yorkers remain at low risk for contracting COVID-19,” the commissioner said.
A lab in Albany confirmed the test, according to Cuomo’s office.
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