Kentucky and Nevada both announced the first coronavirus-related deaths in their state on Monday.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday morning that a 66-year-old man from Bourbon County had died. The governor cited "numerous factors" with the man's death in addition to COIVD-19.
The total number of cases of COVID-19 in the commonwealth remained at 21. More than 3,000 people are confirmed to have contracted the virus in the United States, and at least 69 people have died.
Kentucky is the 12th state to announce a fatality linked to the coronavirus.
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"This is our duty as Kentuckians, this is our patriotic duty," he said of protecting one another through proper hygiene and social distancing. They also were pushing new hashtags for use on social media: #TeamKentucky #TogetherKY.
"I know that there is anxiety out there" Beshear said. "I know a lot of it is spread through social media."
Also on Monday, the Southern Nevada Health District said a man in his 60s with underlying health issues had died of COVID-19.
“We must continue to emphasize how important it is to protect those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of the virus and urge our community to support the public health measures and recommendations that are in place,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, Acting Chief Health Officer of the Southern Nevada Health District..
The announcements came the day after Oregon announced its first death linked to the coronavirus pandemic. According to KEZI-TV in Eugene, Oregon, the patient was a 70-year-old with underlying health issues. Oregon currently has 39 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state.
It also came the same day that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide outnumbered those in China for the first time.
Though government officials have said that increased testing capacity in the United States will begin soon, it still trails significantly behind the testing capabilities in countries like South Korea. Due to the lack of tests, it's likely that the true number of people infected with the virus is much higher.
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