Washington Governor Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency after three new cases of COVID-19 and one death resulting from the coronavirus were confirmed there on Saturday. Inslee said that the time had come for “proactive measures,” adding that state officials have been preparing ever since the first US coronavirus case was confirmed in Snohomish County. The measure will also allow the authorities to use the National Guard if necessary.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have so far reported that the two new coronavirus cases were linked to a Life Care Center in Kirkland, a suburb of Seattle, adding that those infected were a patient and a health care worker. Both of them are alive. However, it is still unclear how exactly they were infected.
The CDC has also warned that the “risk to the public is increasing”, noting that it sees signs the coronavirus could spread within the community. The watchdog sees no evidence of a spread at the national level at this time.