A second person in the United States has died from coronavirus, officials confirmed Sunday.
A Washington man in his 70s with underlying health conditions died on Saturday at EvergreenHealth hospital in Washington, the same location the first American patient to succumb to the illness, a man in his 50s, was being treated.
King County officials also confirmed three other cases of the virus: a woman in her 80s, a woman in her 90s, and a man in his 70s, all of whom are in critical condition and have underlying health issues. All four new cases in the county were from a nursing home in Kirkland where two other people had previously tested positive.
Additionally on Sunday, Rhode Island and New York announced their first cases of the virus, signaling that the public health threat is continuing to spread beyond the West Coast. President Trump has put Vice President Mike Pence in charge of leading the American effort to combat the COVID-19 virus.
As of Sunday evening, 83 people in the United States had been infected with coronavirus, with two deaths. More than 80,000 people around the world have contracted the illness, and nearly 3,000 have died from it. Most cases have occurred in China, where it is believed the virus originated.
