Coronavirus death toll in Washington state climbs to 9

The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Washington state rose on Tuesday to 27, including nine deaths, up from 18 cases and six deaths a day earlier, the state Department of Health reported.

The deaths - eight in King County and one in neighboring Snohomish County - mark the first fatalities documented in the United States from the respiratory illness. All 27 confirmed cases are clustered in those two counties in the greater Seattle area, making it the largest concentration detected to date by the U.S. public health system.