250 People Being Monitored for Coronavirus in Arizona, Officials Say

People buy face masks at a department store in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 28, 2020. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

The director of the Arizona Department of Health Services confirmed Monday that the state is monitoring 250 people for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

“We know the disease is spreading and we can expect additional cases in Arizona,” Dr. Cara Christ said during a news conference.

Christ said that of the 26 people tested in the state, 24 have come back negative, one was positive, and one person’s test is pending, reported KTAR. She said that as many as 450 samples can be tested for COVID-19 each day.

Arizona confirmed one COVID-19 case several weeks ago, identifying the patient as an Arizona State University staffer or student, but they’ve recovered and are no longer suffering from the disease. The person had traveled to Wuhan, China, where the virus emerged late last year and triggered harsh security measures to curb its spread in the country.

Gov. Doug Ducey, meanwhile, said he was briefed by Vice President Mike Pence, who was named the chief of the federal coronavirus response team.

“Arizona is in good hands and I’m confident in this team’s ability to manage this situation,” Ducey said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week confirmed that 8,400 people are currently being monitored for the virus across the state. A number of other states have confirmed officials are monitoring people for the virus.

Six people have died so far in the United States, all of them in Washington state. Five people died of COVID-19 in King County while one death was reported in Snohomish County, said officials. All of the patients who died were elderly or also had underlying health problems.

At least 100 U.S. cases have been confirmed so far. A number of new states including New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Florida have confirmed new cases over the weekend and on Monday.