The elderly person who died in California from the coronavirus outbreak was likely exposed during international travel from Feb. 11-21 on a Princess cruise ship that departed from San Francisco to Mexico, Placer County Public Health said in a statement per Axios.
Thirteen states across the United States have reported over 80 confirmed non-repatriated cases of the novel coronavirus, which started in Wuhan, China. Eleven people have died, including 10 in Washington State.
The virus has killed 3,200 people, the vast majority in mainland China. There are now over 92,000 global cases, with infections in more than 70 countries and territories.
The patient who died in California “tested presumptively positive on Tuesday,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Wednesday.
Princess Cruises in a statement said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was investigating a small cluster of COVID-19 cases in Northern California connected to the cruise the patient was on.
Another Princess cruise ship headed from Hawaii toward San Francisco contains 21 people who are showing possible symptoms of the novel coronavirus, Newsom said Wednesday.
“The ship will not come onshore until we properly assess passengers,” Newsom told reporters at a press conference. Newsom declared a state of emergency in California on Wednesday.
Outside mainland China, 233 deaths have been linked to the virus: in Italy, the U.S., Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, France, Iraq, San Marino, Spain, Iran and six Diamond Princess passengers.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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