LOS ANGELES (CN) – Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for California Wednesday after the number of residents affected by the virus jumped to 54, the most of any state.
Newsom said the emergency declaration will help the Golden State prepare for the spread of the virus and open up additional resources.
“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 Wednesday. “This emergency proclamation will help the state further prepare our communities and our health care system in the event it spreads more broadly.”
He also announced Wednesday that a cruise ship returning from Hawaii linked to two coronavirus cases, one fatal, would be held off the coast of San Francisco. Newsom said 10 crew members and 11 passengers showed symptoms of the virus.
“The ship will not come on shore until we appropriately assess the passengers,” Newsom said, adding that health officials will begin screening the ships passengers and crew.
President Donald Trump downplayed the effects of the virus Wednesday evening, suggesting that the World Health Organization's declared 3.4% mortality rate of the virus was false and instead less than 1%.
"This is really my hunch," Trump said.
Los Angeles County health officials working to prevent any spread of the coronavirus among the county’s 10 million residents declared a health emergency earlier in the day after confirming six new cases of the novel virus in recent days.
The strain has infected nearly 90,000 people globally and killed more than 3,000, leading to shut downs of some travel worldwide, cancellations of large-scale events, school closures and even talks of pulling the plug on the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Eleven people have died in the U.S. and at least 80 cases of patients with coronavirus confirmed in 13 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ten of the deaths have been in Washington state while the 11th was announced by officials in Placer County east of Sacramento on Wednesday – the first COVID-19 death in California so far.
The patient was an elderly woman with underlying health issues who had recently returned from a Princess cruise from San Francisco to Mexico.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” said Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson. “While we have expected more cases, this death is an unfortunate milestone in our efforts to fight this disease, and one that we never wanted to see.”
In a statement made earlier in the day, Newsom said the death in Placer County is a call to action.
“Jennifer and I extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones affected by this death in Placer County,” Newsom said. “The state is working with federal officials to follow up on contact tracing of individuals that may have been exposed to provide treatment and protect public health.
"This case demonstrates the need for continued local, state and federal partnership to identify and slow the spread of this virus. California is working around the clock to keep our communities safe, healthy and informed.”
