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Tennessee governor confirms first case of coronavirus in state

Posted at 8:22 AM, Mar 05, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-05 13:08:16-05

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Thursday that officials had confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the state.

The patient, described as a 44-year-old man, is in Williamson County and is currently quarantined at home. The Tennessee Department of Health is working to determine to which states he traveled.

The health department said the patient has mild symptoms and sought care when he became slightly worse. Health officials said they're working on compiling a list of people that have come in contact with the family.

They're also working to determine if he traveled through Nashville International Airport.

Health department officials said the man had limited contact after returning from out of state. He isolated himself at his home when he began to feel sick.

The CDC has strict guidelines about testing for coronavirus. So far, an estimated 10 people have been tested in Tennessee.

Lee says Tennessee was one of the first five states that began testing for the virus.

"It's been a very difficult week for our state in a lot of ways," Lee said. "Preparedness is how we deal with situations like this."

Lee added that the risk is low in Tennessee.

At least 11 people have died of the coronavirus virus , also called COVID-19 disease, in the U.S.

This story was originally published by Laken Bowles on WTVF in Nashville, Tennessee.