FEARS are growing that nursing homes could be at the center of a coronavirus "disaster" in the US after the deaths of four residents at the same Seattle facility.

Concern grew as U.S. coronavirus cases hit 105, with a total of six deaths confirmed in Washington.

8 Fears have grown that the Life Care facility is the center of the coronavirus outbreak in Washington, after four residents died from the virus Credit: Getty Images - Getty

8 In Washington, at least 18 cases have been confirmed so far Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Numbers continued to climb as the CDC pushed to make test kits available, with FDA officials saying up to 1 million people may be tested for the virus by the end of the week.

Family members of residents at the Life Care Center home have slammed the facility for its handling of the outbreak, as they claim they are given little information about their loved ones and not allowed to visit those who are among the most vulnerable to the virus.

Carmen Gray, whose mother Susan Haley is a resident at the Kirkland, Washington center, slammed the facility when she was told her mother did not meet testing criteria for the virus.

"They're being held hostage in a petri dish," Gray told CBS.

Bonnie Holstad, whose husband Ken Holstad also lives at Life Care, told CNN the center is “sort of like a movie about an epidemic in a little town, and they don’t know how to handle the situation."

She also expressed anger and worry as a nurse told her that her husband did not meet all the required symptoms to be tested for coronavirus.

"I'm very worried for my husband," Holstad told CNN.

"He's one of the vulnerable people," she said of the virus risk, because of his age and the fact that he suffers from Parkinson’s.

Health experts have expressed that people at health care facilities may be among the more at-risk for virus, and the need to take action.

“One thing that is clear is that nursing homes and hospitals are potentially at greater risk, and we are really going to have to think hard about what can be done to protect them,” Tom Frieden, a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a press briefing on Monday.

New steps may need to be taken to protect the more than 1.3 million Americans in nursing homes, Frieden added.

At Kirkland, at least 52 people — including 27 residents and 25 staff — have reported being sick.

"There is no vaccine for coronavirus, and we know that when we have flu outbreaks, they are just huge," Frieden said, noting the similarities between the two but the lack of the preventative measure for coronavirus.

8 "They're being held hostage in a petri dish," Carmen Gray, whose mother lives at Life Care said Credit: Reuters

8 More than 50 people, including 27 residents and 25 workers, have fallen ill at the center Credit: Reuters

8 People around U.S. cities are taking precautions against the virus as cases topped 100 Monday night Credit: EPA

"They just sweep through an entire nursing home," he said of the illnesses.

Charlene Harrington, who studies nursing homes at the University of California in San Francisco, noted that infection is already a problem in nursing homes because of short staff and lack of training.

"It’s going to be a disaster,” Harrington said.

As of early Tuesday, 105 cases of the virus were confirmed in the U.S. across 14 states — including 45 cases in passengers who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed the second case of coronavirus in the state on Tuesday, in a man in his 50s that lives in Westchester County, The New York Times reported.

Washington is one of the states with the most cases of the virus confirmed, at 18 as of Tuesday morning.

At least four cases were confirmed in Snohomish County, including one death, as 14 cases were confirmed in King county, with five deaths.

Officials said there is no evidence that the virus has been detected outside the counties — but experts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington expressed caution the virus may have been spreading undetected across Washington for weeks.

As the state buckles down to prepare for a potential jump in cases, officials said they will buy a motel and convert it into a quarantine area by the end of the week, Kings County Executive Dow Constantine said at a news conference Monday.

Constantine declared an emergency Sunday night in response to the outbreak.

More than 10 Seattle-area schools closed Monday for deep-cleaning, but officials have said they do not advise closures as a precaution at this time.

"At this time, we are not recommending widespread school closures or cancellation of activities at schools." Public Health of Seattle and King County said on social media.

"If there is a positive case at a school, we will be working provide guidance," Public Health said, noting that no cases have been confirmed so far in students.

U.S. government officials on Capitol Hill are almost finished negotiating a bipartisan, emergency measure ranging $7 billion to $8 billion, both Democrats and Republican aides said.

The bill would help push vaccine development for COVID-19, and distribute loans to small businesses hit by the outbreak.

Although anxiety has sparked, officials have advise people not to worry, but to instead inform themselves and be on the defense.

8 A sign posted on the door of a New York pharmacy read 'FACIAL MASKS ARE OUT OF STOCK' Credit: Alamy Live News

8 People wore face masks around the city amid the virus panic Credit: Getty Images - Getty

8 A woman walking around Times Square wears a face mask Credit: Getty Images - Getty

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“Caution, preparedness, but not panic,” Adams said.

“That’s how we’re going to successfully navigate this coronavirus situation.”

Worldwide, nearly 90,000 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, killing more than 2,900, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization.

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