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As the United States scrambled to understand the scope of the escalating public health crisis, the number of known U.S. cases of coronavirus infection passed 1,000 on Tuesday night, signaling that the virus was spreading widely in communities on both coasts and in the center of the country.

In yet another sign that the pace of infections was increasing, more than a quarter of the country’s cases were announced on Tuesday. As of early Wednesday, people in 37 states and Washington, D.C., had tested positive for the virus. There were at least 31 related deaths.

As health officials around the country take increasingly drastic measures to try to slow the virus’s spread, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington State planned to announce on Wednesday a prohibition on community gatherings of 250 or more people in the Seattle area, according to a person involved in the discussions. The announcement is expected to target events such as sports games and entertainment gatherings while offering exceptions to schools and retail stores.

In California, second only to Washington State in the number of cases, passengers continued to disembark from a cruise ship on which about two dozen people had tested positive for the virus.

As of Tuesday evening, about 1,406 people had been able to leave the ship, the Grand Princess, after it docked in Oakland. Some passengers and state officials expressed frustration about what they said was the slow pace of the departures.

“I don’t want to start crying, but I’m stressed,” said Denise Morse, from Davis, Calif., who has been quarantined in her stateroom since Friday. “This is very exhausting to experience.”