SEATTLE (AP) – Health officials in Washington state said Sunday night that a second person had died from the coronavirus and researchers said it may have been circulating for weeks undetected in the greater Seattle area. The man in his 70s died Saturday.

On Friday health officials said a man in his 50s died of the virus. Both had underlying health conditions and both were being treated at a hospital in Kirkland, Washington.

Washington state now has 12 confirmed cases. State and local authorities stepped up testing for the illness as the number of new cases grew nationwide, with new infections announced in California, Illinois, Rhode Island and New York.

The governor of Washington state declared a state of emergency Saturday after the initial death from COVID-19, marking the first such reported death in the United States.

Gov. Jay Inslee directed state agencies to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to the outbreak.

The declaration also allows the use of the Washington National Guard, if necessary.