- An elementary school in Oregon will be closed for cleaning after an employee became the first COVID-19 virus case in the state, local station KPTV reported.
- The case in Oregon appears to be the third possible case of community spread of the virus in the United States.
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An Oregon elementary school plans to close for sanitation after one of its employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local station KPTV reported.
Oregon officials held a press conference on Friday to announce the state's first "presumptive positive" coronavirus case. The case remains "presumptive" until the CDC confirms the positive test done by the state.
The adult appears to be the third possible case of community spread in the US, meaning they had no relevant travel history or contact with any known infected person.
Pat Allen, the director of Oregon's Public Health Authority, said the patient had visited the Forest Hills Elementary School, and the Lake Oswego School District confirmed to KPTV that the individual is an employee.
Allen said the patient was a Washington County resident but did not provide any additional information.
It's still unclear how many people came into contact with the patient, who was being treated at Kaiser Permenante Medical Center. However officials said they would investigate and inform those who may have been exposed to the virus.
Officials encouraged residents to continue to take personal precautions such as washing their hands, coughing and sneezing into their elbows, and making preparations for sick leave in case they become infected.
Another individual in Oregon is currently being monitored for potential coronavirus symptoms.
Two other cases of possible community spread were reported in California this week. An older women with a prior health condition tested positive in Santa Clara County, officials there announced earlier on Friday.
On Thursday, officials in Solano County announced the first case of community spread. In that case, the woman had been transferred to University of California, Davis Medical Center from a smaller hospital on February 19, and was not tested for the virus for a couple of days because she did not meet CDC's previous guidelines.
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