Washington Gov. Jay Inslee Jay Robert InsleeBarr asked prosecutors to explore charging Seattle mayor over protest zone: report Bottom line Oregon senator says Trump's blame on 'forest management' for wildfires is 'just a big and devastating lie' MORE (D) declared a state of emergency in the state Saturday just hours after he announced the first death in the United States from the coronavirus.

The declaration directs state agencies to use all resources necessary to prepare for and respond to an outbreak and allows the use of the Washington National Guard if necessary.

“This will allow us to get the resources we need,” Inslee said in a statement. “This is a time to take common-sense, proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of those who live in Washington state.”

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“Washingtonians can be assured we’ve taken this threat seriously and have been working in collaboration with our health care partners to develop plans and procedures to prepare for what could likely be a world-wide pandemic,” he added. “Our priority now is to slow the spread of this virus.”

The declaration came shortly after Inslee announced the death of a Washington state man from the virus, which marked the first fatality in the U.S. from the illness.

Officials have so far announced four cases of the coronavirus in the U.S. with unknown origins, meaning it is possible the virus is spreading among the general public in some areas. That includes two cases in California, one in Oregon and one in Washington state.

President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE announced further restrictions on travel from Iran and advised American citizens not to travel to specific regions in Italy and South Korea in response to the coronavirus. The administration also authorized a ban on foreign nationals who have traveled to Iran in the last 14 days.

“Additional cases in the United States are likely, but healthy individuals should be able to fully recover,” Trump said at a press conference. “If you’re healthy, you will probably go through a process and you’ll be fine.”

Trump also said he was considering closing the southern border.