COVID-19 in at least four US states, highest concentration in Seattle area

(Patria) – The coronavirus is also spreading in the United States with new cases in at least 4 states.

The death toll in the US has risen to 12, with the latest recorded in Washington, where 6 people have already died from the infection.

The US Congress has approved $8 billion in funding for prevention and treatment.

At least 57 new cases of infection were confirmed across US states on Thursday, with the first cases recorded in the states of Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas, as well as in the city of San Francisco, Reuters reports.

The highest concentration of coronavirus infections was recorded in King County (Seattle area) with 51 cases of infection and 11 fatal outcomes.

Like other countries, Americans are forced to change their daily routines, which include staying at home, closed schools, and bans on public gatherings.

In New York, the number of infections has doubled and now stands at 22; the use of additional laboratories has been approved there, which will improve testing capacity.

At the same time, in the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic in China, Wuhan, a local expert believes that the number of new infections could be reduced to zero by the end of March – a claim that contradicts the current situation where the number of new cases is still rapidly increasing.

Mainland China confirmed 139 new cases on Wednesday alone, bringing the total number to 80,409.

An increase in the number of new cases (after a three-day decline) was recorded precisely in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated last year at a fish and seafood market.

The total number of fatal outcomes in inland China reached 3,012 on Wednesday, Reuters reports.

The first cases of coronavirus infection have been recorded in the Vatican, Cameroon, and Serbia.