Coronavirus: State of emergency declared in Los Angeles as six new cases confirmed
Nationwide there are now 137 cases of coronavirus
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Los Angeles County has declared a local state of emergency as health officials confirmed six new cases of coronavirus.
The new cases were confirmed by positive lab results on Tuesday night.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said that all six cases are linked to an “assumed known exposure source”.
This means that all of the patients either had travelled to an area with an outbreak, had been exposed to someone that had travelled to an area with an outbreak, or had close contact with a confirmed case.
Ms Ferrer urged people to take standard precautions to stop the spread of disease including washing hands for 20 seconds, covering coughs and staying home if sick — all can help slow the spread of the virus. She added that: “As of today we still don’t have known cases of community transmission.”
In neighouring Orange County, two new cases were identified, both had a history of travel to affected countries.
As new testing capabilities are rolled out across the nation, more and more cases will be uncovered.
New York has confirmed a further four cases on Wednesday, taking its total to six. The hardest hit state to date is Washington where there have been nine deaths in the Seattle area.
Nationwide there are now 137 cases of coronavirus.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments