At least 10 of those who died in King County were residents of Life Care Center, a nursing home in Kirkland, KIRO-TV reported. Researchers said the virus may have been circulating undetected for weeks. The Jefferson County case is a man in his 60s who is recovering at home. A Jefferson County Health Department spokesman said he likely was exposed to the coronavirus during a visit to a family member in Kirkland, "where community-level transmission is occurring."
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department announced Friday evening its first known case of the coronavirus. Health officials said the person is a man in his 50s with underlying health conditions. He was also found to have pneumonia.
Officials said he did not travel outside the country.
The man’s test was conducted by the University of Washington lab but needs to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Contol and Prevention, officials said.
Officials also said the man is in stable condition and is being treated at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor. Health officials said they are working to identify others who may have come in contact with the man, creating an exposure risk.
Clark County also announced its first case overnight Friday after a man in Vancouver tested positive for the coronavirus. The patient, a man in his 70s, is currently being treated in isolation at Peacehealth Southwest Medical Center.
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