Starbucks shuts Seattle store after staff infected with COVID-19

American coffee chain giant Starbucks has shut a store in Seattle city after one of the outlet's staff members was tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Rossann Williams, Executive Vice President of Starbucks, said in statement on Friday that the company first learned of the employee on Thursday and quickly took steps to close the store for "a deep clean overnight", reports Xinhua news agency.

The employee is now in self-quarantine at home, Williams said in the statement, adding: "Because this is our first confirmed case, we felt it was best to reach out and share this update with you all."

Williams said the company will take similar measures, including store closures and deep cleaning, if more COVID-19 cases occur at its outlets in the future.

She said the store will be reopened after further preventative cleaning and be "staffed by partners who have no known impact from COVID-19".

Washington state is home to the first confirmed COVID-19 case in the US.

As of Friday, the deadly coronavirus has infected 329 people and killed 15 others in the US.