Health officials in Placer County, Calif., have confirmed the state’s first coronavirus-related death in an elderly adult with underlying health issues. The news comes on the same day that Washington state reported an additional COVID-19 fatality, bringing the national death toll to 11.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of this patient,” Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson, said in a statement. “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.”
Sisson said the patient tested “presumptively positive on Tuesday,” and was “likely exposed during international travel from Feb. 11-21 on a Princess cruise ship that departed from San Francisco to Mexico.”
The patient had been in isolation at Kaiser Permanente Roseville.
