First U.S. death from virus confirmed Saturday

The Washington State Department of Health confirms the first U.S. death from COVID-19 has occurred in the state of Washington.

A media briefing is expected today at 4pm EST.

Authorities have yet to release details on the case.

The Washington State Department of Health, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and Snohomish Health District, announced two new cases of COVID-19, currently classified as “presumptive positives”, yesterday.

The individuals reside in both King and Snohomish Counties. In King County, a woman in her 50s with confirmed travel to Daegu, South Korea is a presumptive positive. She is currently in home isolation.

In Snohomish County, a person under the age of 18 with no travel history is also a presumptive positive. He is currently in home isolation as well. That patient visited Seattle Children’s North Clinic on Monday, Feb. 24. Snohomish County Health District is working alongside the Everett Public Schools to ensure the safety of students and staff at Jackson High School, where this student attends. Everett Public Schools is taking this very seriously and in an abundance of caution, the superintendent has decided to close Jackson High School on Monday to allow three days for deep cleaning.

The King County case is believed to be travel-related.