The situation at that nursing home is horrifying

This nursing home is at the center of Washington's coronavirus

As of Saturday night, there were at least 19 deaths in the United States -- at least 14 of them tied to the Life Care Center in Kirkland alone, according to a Seattle and King County Public Health news release.

Two new coronavirus deaths out of 16 total recorded in the state are linked to the facility, according to the release. 

A man in his 70s, who was a resident at the care home, died on March 2, while a woman in her 80s, who was also a Life Care resident, died on March 5, officials said.

While staff are caring for patients to the best of their ability, "we cannot make any promise that exposure, further exposure, within the facility is not happening," said Tim Killian, a spokesman for Life Care Center of Kirkland.

Some Life Care Center residents have gone from no symptoms to acute symptoms within an hour, Killian said.

"We've had patients die relatively quickly under those circumstances," he said.

Killian told reporters during a Saturday briefing that 70 employees are showing coronavirus symptoms. Those employees have been asked not to return to work.

As of February 19, the facility employed 180 staff members and housed 120 residents. 

Fifty-four residents have since been transferred to various hospitals, Killian said, and all residents at the facility are confined to their rooms.