California declares emergency over coronavirus as death toll rises in U.S.

By Steve Gorman and Dan Whitcomb

a man standing in front of a truck: Medics load a person into an ambulance outside of the Life Care Center of Kirkland

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER Medics load a person into an ambulance outside of the Life Care Center of Kirkland a group of people riding on the back of a truck: Ambulances, fire engines, a hazardous materials response unit, and other emergency vehicles are seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked

a group of people riding on the back of a truck: Ambulances, fire engines, a hazardous materials response unit, and other emergency vehicles are seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER Ambulances, fire engines, a hazardous materials response unit, and other emergency vehicles are seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. death toll from coronavirus infections rose to 11 on Wednesday as new cases emerged around New York City and Los Angeles, while Seattle-area health officials discouraged social gatherings amid the nation's largest outbreak.

a group of people standing in front of a truck: Medics wait near ambulances in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER Medics wait near ambulances in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

The first California death from the virus was an elderly person in Placer County, near Sacramento, health officials said. The person had underlying health problems and likely had been exposed on a cruise ship voyage between San Francisco and Mexico last month.

Ben Carson, Anthony S. Fauci, Deborah Birx, Mike Pence, Robert R. Redfield posing for a photo: Vice President Pence gives a news briefing about the coronavirus at the White House

It was the first coronavirus fatality in the United States outside of Washington state, where 10 people have died in a cluster of at least 39 infections that have emerged through community transmission of the virus in two Seattle-area counties.

a person in a red truck: Medics load gear back into a Kirkland Fire medic vehicle as they leave without loading a patient at the Life Care Center of Kirkland

Although the Placer County patient who died was not believed to have contracted the virus locally, that case and a previous one from the San Francisco Bay Area linked to the same ocean liner have led health authorities to seek other cruise passengers who may have had close contact with those two individuals.

a group of people sitting in a parking lot: King County Deputy Communications Director Chase Gallagher addresses media after the county announced it is buying an 85-bed Econo Lodge motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent, Washington

© Reuters/JASON REDMOND King County Deputy Communications Director Chase Gallagher addresses media after the county announced it is buying an 85-bed Econo Lodge motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent, Washington

Hours after the person's death was announced, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide emergency in response to the coronavirus, which he said has resulted in 53 cases across the nation's most populous state.

a person sitting in front of a building: A medic transports a person into an ambulance at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER A medic transports a person into an ambulance at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

"The State of California is deploying every level of government to help identify cases and slow the spread of this coronavirus," Newsom said in a statement.

a large red sign with white text: An Econo Lodge sign is pictured after King County announced it is buying the 85-bed motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent

Newsom said the cruise ship, named the Grand Princess, had later sailed on to Hawaii and was returning to San Francisco, but would not be allowed into port until passengers had been tested for the virus.

a man holding a laptop: King County Deputy Communications Director Chase Gallagher addresses media after the county announced it is buying an 85-bed Econo Lodge motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent, Washington

"We are holding that ship off the coast," Newsom said.

a person standing in front of a mirror posing for the camera: An Econo Lodge room is pictured during a media tour after King County announced it is buying the 85-bed motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent, Washington

© Reuters/JASON REDMOND An Econo Lodge room is pictured during a media tour after King County announced it is buying the 85-bed motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent, Washington

Six new coronavirus patients were confirmed in Los Angeles County, public health officials said on Wednesday. One was a federal contractor who may have been exposed while conducting medical screenings at Los Angeles International Airport, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported.

a bedroom with a bed and desk in a room: An Econo Lodge room is pictured during a media tour after King County announced it is buying the 85-bed motel to house patients in recovery and isolation for the coronavirus outbreak in Kent, Washington

Three others likely were infected while traveling recently to northern Italy, one of the areas hardest hit in the global outbreak. Of the six in Los Angeles County, only one has been hospitalized. The other five are recovering in home isolation.

Mike Pence, Deborah Birx, Robert Ford sitting at a table: U.S. Vice President Pence hosts coronavirus briefing with diagnostic lab CEOs at the White House in Washington

The greater Seattle region represents the biggest concentration of cases detected in the United States from a virus that has killed more than 3,000 people worldwide, mostly in China, where the epidemic originated in December.

a police car parked in a parking lot: Ambulances are seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER Ambulances are seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

With most of the Seattle-area cases not linked to travel or exposure to people who might have been infected abroad, that means the virus has gone from being an imported phenomenon to taking up residence in Washington state, health officials say.

a couple of people that are talking to each other: A staff member wearing a mask receives bags of supplies at the Life Care Center of Kirkland

At least 18 cases, including six deaths, were connected to a long-term nursing facility for the elderly, called LifeCare Center of Kirkland, in a Seattle suburb.

a group of people standing in front of a building: Medics in disposable gowns and masks talk outside the Life Care Center of Kirkland

'DISTANCING MEASURES'

a car parked in a parking lot: Ambulances are seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

Seattle health authorities urged a number of measures for curbing further spread of the disease, including recommendations for anyone aged 60 and older and individuals with underlying chronic health problems or compromised immunity to stay home and away from large gatherings and public places.

a person riding on the back of a truck: A medic walks out of a Kirkland Fire aid ca vehicle r at the Life Care Center of Kirkland

They also urged companies to allow their employees to work from home as much as possible, stagger shifts to ease commuter congestion on public transportation and avoid large work-related gatherings.

a fire truck parked in a parking lot: A hazardous materials response unit is seen in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland

"The distancing measures that we're recommending are essential because we need to slow the spread of the disease to the point where we are able to continue to handle the load," said Patty Hayes, the public health director for Seattle and King County.

a person standing in front of a car: A woman carrying face masks walks to her car at the Life Care Center of Kirkland

A growing number of U.S. companies are adopting such steps. On Wednesday Microsoft Corp asked its employees in the Seattle region near its headquarters and in the San Francisco Bay Area to work from home if possible until March 25.

a man standing in front of a truck: A worker unloads a delivery at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland

In New York state, the number of cases rose to 10 on Wednesday. Three family members and a neighbor of a lawyer who was previously identified as infected tested positive. The neighbor's wife and three of his children have also contracted the virus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

a group of people riding on the back of a truck: Firefighters talk on the phone near fire and police vehicles in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER Firefighters talk on the phone near fire and police vehicles in a staging area at the North Kirkland Community Center, which is a short drive from the Life Care Center of Kirkland

About 1,000 people in suburban Westchester County, where the two families live, were under self-quarantine orders because of possible exposure, Cuomo said.

a plastic water bottle on a table: A vendor sells alcohol based sanitizer near the NYSE in the financial district in New York

"We are, if anything, being overcautious," he said.

a person standing in front of a car: Bridget Parkhill and her sister, Carmen Gray, look at an ambulance as it waits to transport a patient, while they inquire about news of their mother, Susan Hailey, who has been coughing and is a resident at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term c

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER Bridget Parkhill and her sister, Carmen Gray, look at an ambulance as it waits to transport a patient, while they inquire about news of their mother, Susan Hailey, who has been coughing and is a resident at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term c

AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby, said Wednesday that people in a group from New York that attended its 18,000-person policy conference in Washington, D.C., this week potentially had been in contact with an individual who contacted the coronavirus before the conference.

Mike Pence et al. sitting at a table with wine glasses: U.S. Vice President Pence hosts coronavirus briefing with diagnostic lab CEOs at the White House in Washington

Dozens of Congress members attended the conference, as well as Vice President Mike Pence.

a person sitting in a car: Yellow taxi cab driver Martin Oseseyi shows a can of disinfectant while cleaning his cab amid the coronavirus outbreak in midtown Manhattan in New York

EMERGENCY FUNDS

a piece of grass: A discarded glove lies on the street in front of the Life Care Center of Kirkland

U.S. lawmakers reached bipartisan agreement on an $8.3 billion emergency bill to help fund efforts to contain the virus. The bill garnered enough votes to pass in the House of Representatives.

a large air plane on a runway at an airport: FILE PHOTO: A chartered plane carrying carrying evacuated South Koreans from Wuhan arrives at Gimpo International Airport in Gimpo

More than $3 billion would be devoted to research and development of coronavirus vaccines, test kits and therapeutics. There are currently no approved vaccines or treatments for the fast-spreading illness.

a man wearing a suit and tie: An officer holds a thermal scanner in Plaza Indonesia Mall after Indonesia confirmed its first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Jakarta

The administration is working to allow laboratories to develop their own coronavirus tests without seeking regulatory approval first, U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar said.

a hand holding a remote control: FILE PHOTO: Test tube with Corona virus name label is seen in this illustration picture

The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed 129 confirmed and presumed cases in the United States, up from the previous 108. They were 80 reported by public health authorities in 13 states plus 49 among people repatriated from abroad, according to the CDC website.

Those figures do not necessarily reflect Wednesday's updates from three states.

a group of people performing on a counter: Postal workers disinfect packages arrived from overseas, to contain the spread of coronavirus in Bangkok

Graphic - Tracking the novel coronavirus: https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-MAP/0100B59S39E/index.html

Postal workers disinfect packages arrived from overseas, to contain the spread of coronavirus in Bangkok

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles and Laila Kearney in New York; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, Maria Caspani and Hilary Russ in New York, David Morgan and Richard Cowan in Washington; writing by Grant McCool; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Lisa Shumaker, Cynthia Osterman, Leslie Adler and Lincoln Feast.)

a woman wearing a costume: A worker walks through a practice putting green while wearing a mask at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, where two of three confirmed coronavirus cases in the state had links to the long-term care facility in Kirkland

© Reuters/DAVID RYDER A worker walks through a practice putting green while wearing a mask at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, where two of three confirmed coronavirus cases in the state had links to the long-term care facility in Kirkland a person holding a sign: Postal workers disinfect packages arrived from overseas, to contain the spread of coronavirus in Bangkok

a person holding a sign: Postal workers disinfect packages arrived from overseas, to contain the spread of coronavirus in Bangkok

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