Pima County announces its 1st coronavirus case, 6th in Arizona
Mar 9, 2020, 3:16 PM | Updated: 5:24 pm
(Pexels Photo)
(Pexels Photo)
PHOENIX – Southern Arizona has its first coronavirus case, officials said Monday.
The patient is a Pima County resident with a presumptive positive test for COVID-19, the ailment caused by the novel coronavirus.
It’s Arizona’s sixth positive coronavirus test. The previous five were located in Maricopa or Pinal counties.
The new patient recently returned after traveling to an area that has community spread of the virus, according to the Pima County Health Department.
The person lives in an unincorporated area of Pima County and is recovering at home in isolation. The patient is not severely ill, the Pima County Health Department said.
State and county health officials are investigating close contacts the person may have had while infectious in order to monitor them.
“We are not recommending closing schools or cancelling events,” Dr. Bob England, director of the Pima County Health Department, said in a press release. “We know that most people who have gotten COVID-19 have mild symptoms and we ask that you stay home if you are sick.”
Cases are considered presumptive when they are diagnosed by a state lab and are not classified as confirmed until the Centers for Disease Control validates the results.
