WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A state of emergency has been declared in California after the first coronavirus-related death was reported in the state.
A 71-year-old man from Placer County with underlying health conditions died at a hospital in Roseville on Wednesday, reports quoting officials said. He was one of the passengers exposed to the virus on a cruise ship that sailed from San Francisco to Mexico last month.
The Grand Princess, with 11 passengers and 10 crew members infected on board, is being held off California.
In a statement announcing the State of Emergency, California Governor Gavin Newsom said his administration is deploying every level of government to help identify cases and slow the spread of the coronavirus. 'This emergency proclamation will help the state further prepare our communities and our health care system in the event it spreads more broadly,' he added.
The emergency proclamation includes provisions that protect consumers against price rise, allow for health care workers to come from other states, and give health care facilities the flexibility to plan and adapt to accommodate incoming patients.
The Governor has already announced the release of millions of N95 masks to address shortages caused by COVID-19. The state has secured the capacity to test thousands of specimens from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expedite testing for the viral infection.
According to the California Department of Public Health, there are a total of 53 positive coronavirus cases in the state, out of which 24 are from repatriation flights.
With this, the number of Covid-19 casualties in the United States rose to 11, as Washington confirmed the tenth coronavirus death in the state.
This is in addition to around 150 reported cases spread across 16 states in the country.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2020 AFX News
