Los Angeles County declared a local state of emergency Wednesday amid the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19, better known as the coronavirus.

The county's announcement comes amid reports that six people had been diagnosed with the virus, according to the Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter.

During Wednesday's announcement, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and health officials said the declaration would allow the county to better coordinate government response to the virus.

The announcement comes a day after officials in King County, Washington, declared a state of emergency in response to the virus. The virus has killed nine people in the United States since the outbreak, all of them in Washington.

Orange County, which borders Los Angeles County, declared a state of emergency in connection with the virus on Monday.