https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/01/coronavirus-live-updates/
The novel coronavirus has probably been
spreading undetected for about six weeks in Washington state, where the first U.S. death was reported this weekend. A genetic analysis suggests that the cases are linked through community transmission and that this has been going on for weeks, with hundreds of infections likely in the state.
Two new cases were confirmed in Washington state’s King County on Sunday, bringing that state’s total to eight.
Rhode Island also announced its first probable case. If confirmed, it will be the second on the East Coast, after a previously announced case in Massachusetts. The Rhode Island patient is in his 40s and had traveled to Europe in mid-February.
The global death toll is climbing toward 3,000 on four continents. The first U.S. death, in Washington state, was man in his 50s with underlying health conditions, officials said. The patient had no recent travel history or contact with people known to be infected, officials said.