First US death in coronavirus outbreak reported in Washington state

Kay Taylor, a spokeswoman EvergreenHealth, said the person had been a patient at the organization’s hospital in Kirkland, Washington. In a news conference, President Donald Trump described the person as a “medically high risk” woman in her late 50s.

The development marked a new, urgent phase in the response to the virus in the U.S., where 65 cases had previously been reported, none of them fatal. Most of the cases could be explained by overseas travel or contact with someone who had been ill. This past week, though, four new cases, in California, Oregon and Washington, were the first in the U.S. where the cause was mysterious and unknown — a sign, experts warned, that the virus, which has killed more than 2,800 people worldwide and sickened tens of thousands, might now be spreading in the U.S.

President Donald Trump with members of the coronavirus task force speaks during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In the Northwest, especially, health officials were putting in place new precautions. They were already discussing the possibility that they may recommend cancellations of public events, including sports and entertainment, to limit the spread. They began warning that life in the coming weeks may undergo dramatic change.

Washington state leaders, who had for weeks reiterated that the risk to the general public was low, issued a more insistent message.

“We really believe that the risk at this point is increasing,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, Washington state’s health officer.

In Oregon, where officials say that an elementary school employee was among the new, unexplained cases, concerns were raised that children may have been exposed. District officials announced they would shut down school until Wednesday and conduct a deep cleaning of the building.

Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon’s state health officer, said a broader closure of schools is an option the state could pursue at some point.

“If we do notice spread in our community or multiple cases, that is certainly something we would consider on a case-by-case basis,” Sidelinger said.

Health officials in Washington state announced the country’s first case of coronavirus nearly six weeks ago. That person, a man who had traveled in China, has since recovered. As dozens of other cases were diagnosed across the U.S., no others were announced in Washington until this past week.

On Friday night, health officials there announced that a teenage boy and a woman in her 50s had tested positive for coronavirus. The woman had recently spent time in South Korea. The boy, a high school student, had not traveled to any high-risk areas. The student’s high school will not reopen until Tuesday, and some peers who were in contact with the infected student will be kept out of school for at least 14 days, officials said.

Dr. Jeff Duchin, health officer for Public Health Seattle & King County, warned that a cascade of such developments could be coming. He said businesses should be prepared to allow employees to work from home and that people may need to consider avoiding crowds.

Health officials may get to the point where they will recommend the cancellations of large public gatherings, including sporting and entertainment events, Duchin said. That could place questions over major gatherings, including a popular running race in downtown Seattle set for Sunday and the city’s Comic Con gathering in a couple weeks.

Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said that she expects more cases and that her state may take more aggressive action if the outbreak gets more severe. But, in the meantime, she said people do not need to take drastic action.

“I’m wanting to convey to Oregonians, and frankly folks on the entire West Coast: Stay calm, continue on your daily lives, and follow public health precautions,” Brown said.