A person under the age of 18 has died after contracting the coronavirus, marking the first such death in the United States.
The death was announced on Tuesday, as cases of the flu-like virus in California soared to more than 2,200, with a death toll of at least 41. The country’s youngest victim of the pandemic died in Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles Times. Whether the child had an underlying condition remains unclear.
“This virus can infect people from across the board,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department.
Last week, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a “stay-at-home” order for all people living in the state that allows essential businesses such as pharmacies and grocery stores to continue operating, while nonessential businesses will be forced to shut down. He also projected that 56% of its population would contract the coronavirus in the next two months.
Cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. surpassed 50,000 on Tuesday, a statistic that experts warn will grow this week as more people are tested and the pandemic continues.
There have been at least 606 deaths across America, according to the latest reading by the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
