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Virginia Health Officials: No Evidence COVID-19 is Spreading in the Community

Virginia Department of Health

Update:  The Virginia Department of Health reported a third presumptive case of COVID-19 Monday.

Officials say the person is a resident of Arlington County in their 60's and developed symptoms after returning from international travel.

Sunday afternoon,  Virginia health officials said there’s no reason to panic over the two positive cases of COVID-19 discovered in Northern Virginia over the weekend.

One case is a Marine who is stationed at Fort Belvoir and had recently traveled internationally, health officials said during a news conference Sunday afternoon.  The other is an 80-year-old resident of Fairfax City who had been on a Nile River cruise in February.  That person had limited contact while sick and was hospitalized on March 5th.  The two cases are not related, officials said.

State health officials say there’s no indication that the illness is spreading in the community.  Local health officials are still working to identify people who may have had contact.  But they add that the risk to the broader community is low.  People who did have contact are given information about symptoms and may be monitored by the health department.

"There are action simple steps Virginians can take at this time: Taking simple precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus through their community and relying on the VDH and CDC websites for the most accurate information," Doctor Allison Ansher, the director of the Prince William Health District, said during a news conference Sunday.  Those precautionary measures include hand washing, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home if you are sick.

Click here for COVID-19 information from the Virginia Department of Health

People who have respiratory symptoms, such as a cough, and have traveled to one of the areas where COVID-19 is active or have had close contact with someone who has traveled should contact their doctor for more guidance, according to health officials.

The Virginia Department of Health has set up a phone bank to answer questions about the illness.  That number is 1-877-ASK-VDH3.

David Seidel is Radio IQ's News Director.
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