California Announces First Coronavirus Death, Bringing US Fatalities To At Least 11
Just hours after officials with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County Department of Health declared a local state of emergency; following the discovery of six new COVID-19 cases in the Los Angeles area — officials announced the state’s first COVID-19 death, bringing U.S. fatalities to at least 11.
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According to CNBC, the patient was said to be an elderly adult with underlying health conditions. County officials added that the person was the second confirmed COVID-19 case in the county and is now the first death related to the virus in the state.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said in a statement. “While we have expected more cases, this death is an unfortunate milestone in our efforts to fight this disease, and one that we never wanted to see.”
County officials explained that the patient was likely exposed during international travel from Feb. 11 to Feb. 21 on a Princess cruise ship that departed from San Francisco and traveled to Mexico. Apparently, the patient arrived at Kaiser Permanente Roseville Medical Center by ambulance on Feb. 27 and was in isolation at the hospital.
As of Wednesday, there are 53 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in California. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California has more cases of the virus than any other state. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 3,000 people, the vast majority in mainland China. There are now more than 88,000 global cases, with infections on every continent except Antarctica.
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