California Governor Declares State of Emergency Following First Coronavirus Related Death

On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency just hours after the state confirmed its first coronavirus-related death. According to Newsom, there are currently 53 confirmed cases of the virus in California and health officials are monitoring 9,400 residents.

“The State of California is deploying every level of government to help identify cases and slow the spread of this coronavirus,” Newsom said. “This emergency proclamation will help the state further prepare our communities and our health care system in the event it spreads more broadly.”

California cities such as Los Angeles, Pasadena, Long Beach, and San Francisco have declared local emergencies. Orange and Marin counties have also declared such.

According to health officials in Placer County, the first deceased person in the state was an elderly adult who had underlying health issues. Fox News reported that “the news comes on the same day that Washington state reported an additional COVID-19 fatality, bringing the national death toll to 11.”

Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson said in a statement that the patient tested “presumptively positive” on Tuesday and was “likely exposed during international travel from Feb. 11-21 on a Princess cruise ship that departed from San Francisco to Mexico.”

“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Sisson said. “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.”