NY Declares State of Emergency After First Coronavirus Deaths on East Coast
INEVITABLE
Florida health authorities reported two fatalities from COVID-19 late Friday, marking the first deaths on the East Coast. The total number of reported cases of the coronavirus has risen to over 300 across the U.S. as authorities grapple with a shortage of tests. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency on Saturday after 21 more people tested positive for the virus. To date, there are 76 confirmed cases in the state—with 11 of them in New York City.
The U.S. is also debating what to do with some 3,500 passengers and crew on board the Grand Princess cruise ship anchored off San Francisco after at least 21 people tested positive for the potentially deadly virus—from around 40 people tested. President Donald Trump had expressed concern over letting them disembark on American soil because of the impact on the tally of total cases in the U.S.