California identified a person who died from COVID-19 on February 6, suggesting that the first US coronavirus death happened at least 3 weeks earlier than previously thought

• Santa Clara County, California, announced on Tuesday that two people who died in their homes in February were later confirmed positive for the new coronavirus.
• This data suggests that the first United States death occurred at least three weeks earlier than previously thought.
• The US recorded its first official death from COVID-19 on February 28.
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Santa Clara County, California, announced on Tuesday that two people who died in their homes in February tested positive for the new coronavirus, suggesting that the first US death occurred weeks earlier than previously thought.

In a statement on Tuesday, officials from Santa Clara County said that the medical examiner tested three individuals who died in their homes for coronavirus. One person died on February 6, another on February 17, and a third on March 6.

According to the statement, the tests were sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who confirmed on Tuesday that all three patients tested positive for coronavirus.

The US initially recorded its first official death from COVID-19 on February 28 — a patient in Seattle, Washington. The new data suggests that the first death occurred in Santa Clara County three weeks prior.

This is a developing story.

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