Washington, February 29: The United States confirmed the first death due to novel coronavirus on Saturday. In early hours of the day, a victim infected with COVID-19 in northwest Washington state was confirmed dead by the health department officials. The demise is feared to create panic in the US, which was so far considered to be largely immune to the deadly virus outbreak. France's Advisory on Coronavirus Warns People Against Kissing, Bans Large Gatherings.

The health department was scheduled to address a presser later in the day to divulge more details about the victim and the immediate trigger that led to the death. The casualty was reported at King County, Washington state. The demise came two days after the the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the Donald Trump administration to scale up its defence to prevent the coronavirus outbreak.

Washington Governor condoled the demise due to coronavirus, calling it a "sad day" for the entire state of Washington. "Our hearts go out to his family and friends. We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," he said.

"In partnership with the Washington State Department of Health, the Washington State Department of Emergency Management and local and community health partners, we are strengthening our preparedness and response efforts. I am committed to keeping Washingtonians healthy, safe and informed," the Governor further added in his statement.

The coronavirus, which erupted first in China in mid-December, has claimed over 2,700 lives across the world. While bulk of the casualties, over 90 percent, has been recorded in China, a number of deaths have also been recorded in neighbouring South Korea and Japan. In Iran, the sole Middle East nation to be ravaged by the virus, a total of 43 deaths have been reported by the government.

In the US , 12 positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, including four of those who have no recent travel history. President Donald Trump, during a recent White House press briefing, said he is hopeful that the virus would die out by April. "The heat generally speaking kills this kind of virus," he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2020 12:29 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).