1st U.S. death from coronavirus occurs as 4 cases of unknown origin exist with 66 total Americans infected

WASHINGTON, DC -- The first U.S. death from novel coronavirus was confirmed on Saturday. According to health officials in Washington State, the death of a woman from COVID-19 happened in Kings County.

The fatality was a "medically high-risk patient in her late 50s," President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday afternoon.

Trump also said he was considering closing the southern border at Mexico to control the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S., but no action was announced at this time. Mexico has confirmed just four total cases of the virus.

Meantime, health officials earlier Saturday had indicated there were now four cases of coronavirus in the U.S. believed to have been transmitted to a person who didn’t travel internationally or come in close contact with anyone who had it. The total number of those infected in the U.S. grew to at least 66.

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A high school student in the state of Washington was identified as the fourth U.S. resident to preliminarily test positive for the coronavirus as part of a growing group of victims that were diagnosed with COVID-19 due to unknown origin, officials said Saturday.

"The individual is currently in home isolation and is doing well," said Dr. Chris Spitters, interim health officer for the Snohomish Health District in Washington state.

On Friday night, a patient in the Portland metro area of Oregon had the third case of unknown origin, indicating that the virus was spreading. It was also the first case of the virus in the state of Oregon, health officials said.

The Oregon individual works as a school employee and "may have exposed students and staff there." The school where the person works was being closed as an investigation was ongoing and parents of students were being informed.

There have been two other U.S. cases of unknown origin identified in California.

The newest one there came on Friday when California health officials said a 65-year-old woman from Santa Clara had tested positive for the virus.

“This new case indicates that there is evidence of community transmission, but the extent is still not clear,” said Dr. Sara Cody, director of the Santa Clara Public Health Department. "I understand this may be concerning to hear, but this is what we have been preparing for. Now we need to start taking additional actions to slow down the spread of the disease."

Earlier this week, California state officials had revealed the nation's first case of community transmission involving a woman hospitalized in Sacramento. She was listed in critical condition on Saturday.

Cody said the newly confirmed case in Santa Clara is not linked to the previous case of unknown origin in the state.

These infection cases mark an escalation of the worldwide outbreak in the U.S. because it means the virus could spread beyond the reach of preventative measures like quarantines, though health officials said that was inevitable and that the risk of widespread transmission still remained low.

Other key developments

Here are some other key developments as officials around the world attempt to contain the virus:

• The latest numbers: The novel coronavirus has killed more than 2,924 people worldwide, the vast majority in mainland China. There have been more than 85,406 global cases in at least 60 countries, with infections in every continent except Antarctica.
• WHO raises global risk to 'very high': The World Health Organization has upgraded its global risk assessment of the novel coronavirus' potential for spread and impact from "high" to "very high," which is the highest possible alert level.
• Markets plunge: Major stock indexes in the U.S. recorded their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis due to fears about the virus' impact on the world economy.
• In South Korea: South Korea has the biggest outbreak outside of China, with 2,931 cases of the virus reported.
• In Italy: Europe's largest outbreak is in Italy, and more than a dozen European countries now have confirmed cases, with many of them traced back to Italy.
• European gatherings cancelled: France has joined the many countries canceling public gatherings and events to curb the spread of the virus, while Italy’s Serie A football league has postponed five matches.