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Georgia reports first confirmed coronavirus-related death, bringing U.S. death toll to 40

Posted at 6:19 AM, Mar 13, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-13 09:35:17-04

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp confirmed the first novel coronavirus-related death in the state on Thursday.

According to WAGA-TV in Atlanta, the man who died was a 67-year-old man who had been hospitalized since he contracted the disease on March 7. The governor's office said the man did have underlying health issues.

The death marked the 40th death with a confirmed link to COVID-19 in the United States.

The vast majority of deaths have occurred in Washington state, where a number of patients at a nursing home contracted the disease. So far, 31 people have died in Washington.

Other coronavirus deaths in the U.S. have occurred in California, Florida, New Jersey and South Dakota.

According to Johns Hopkins, at least 1,700 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 throughout the country. However, that number is likely much higher because the U.S. currently lacks the capabilities to test all those experiencing symptoms.