UPDATED: 2:12 p.m.
Travelers are reacting to a new European travel restriction announced Wednesday night by President Donald Trump. Gov. Tom Wolf's administration also took steps to limit travel and gatherings.
At least a dozen dozen colleges and universities moved classes online. Penn State encouraged its 76,000 students at its main campus and 21 satellite campuses to stay home the next three weeks, while the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh want students to go home for the semester.
Here is a look at the latest developments in Pennsylvania:
What we know
All the people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state live in eastern Pennsylvania, authorities say. Most people are believed to have contracted the virus while traveling outside the state or country, but a growing number of cases, including a police officer, are people who got sick from contact inside Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia officials confirmed the city's first case on Tuesday, saying they had tested a handful of patients since the test became available last week.
City health officials said the patient is an adult from Philadelphia who is receiving treatment in isolation at home.
Dr. Thomas Farley, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, said Tuesday he expects to see additional cases identified in the city.
Related
On Thursday morning, the state's Department of Health announced four new cases of the coronavirus in Montgomery County and one new case in Northampton County. Later Thursday, in a public address with state Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, Gov. Wolf announced a sixth new case, this one in Pike County.
This brings the total number of cases in Pennsylvania up to 22, and the total in Montgomery County alone to 13.
A positive test confirmed on Wednesday in Montgomery County is from a Lower Providence Township Police Department officer. The Montgomery County Office of Public Health is working to determine who this individual came into contact with before starting a self-isolation period. He is currently at home being monitored, and officials said he had direct contact with with the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia cardiologist who tested positive for the virus.
The message from Montgomery County commissioners is that the coronavirus is here, and they are doing all they can to contain it.
County officials are also asking area employers to offer sick pay to their employees, even if temporary.
For the first time, the state's health department shared details Wednesday about the number of people being tested for coronavirus in the state.
An adult from another state hospitalized in Montgomery County is not included in state totals.
An undisclosed number of others are being monitored as potential cases.
"We do have a number of individuals who are being monitored, and they’re not currently being tested if they are asymptomatic," Dr. Sharon Watkins, the state epidemiologist, said Wednesday.
Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine says the state's health department supports local decisions to cancel public events.
"We are not mandating mitigation efforts at this time, but we support mitigation efforts. And so again, we will be discussing this every day."
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.
Warnings
Philadelphia City Council took special precautions against the coronavirus when it met on Thursday.
As spectators sat every other seat, to create distance between each other, council members took on the virus from a number of angles.
Councilmember Helen Gym introduced a resolution calling for a moratorium on evictions, foreclosures and utility shut-offs in the event of an out break. Councilmember Kendra Brooks introduced a resolution calling on the city to ensure that workers' health benefits and paid time off are protected. And Councilmember David Oh offered a measure asking the School District of Philadelphia and the state school board to waive the requirement for a doctor's note if a student is absent for more than three days.
State Health Secretary Rachel Levine isn't recommending that large gatherings be canceled, although Montgomery County officials urged the cancellation of all public events and even large private gatherings.
Travel restrictions
In a televised address from the Oval Office Wednesday night, President Trump announced that the United States would suspend travel from European countries, not including Great Britain, for 30 days, effective Saturday at midnight. The goal is to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
Many travelers at Philadelphia International Airport heard about it for the first time early Thursday morning. Most said they were concerned, but not concerned enough to cancel their trips.
"I have hand sanitizer with me, for one," she said. "No. 2, I know it's serious, but you don't have to panic like everybody else is doing."
She added, "I'm scared about the flight more than the virus."
Another traveler said, as new developments continue to unfold regarding coronavirus protocol, she's hoping nothing changes while she's in Puerto Rico this week to impede her return to normal life.
Dennis Bronsburg of Pottstown, hopping a flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, said the thought of cancelling his trip did not cross his mind.
"Not once, no," he said. "I've never been out of the country. I'm dying to go."
As Pittsburgh and Allegheny County released details of their preparedness, the U.S. State Department said foreign ministers from leading industrial nations who had planned to meet in Pittsburgh this month will instead hold a video teleconference.
Cancellations
Two major conferences scheduled for the Pennsylvania Convention Center have cancelled.
Penn State, Penn, Pitt, Temple, Villanova, West Chester and a dozen other colleges and universities, almost all in eastern Pennsylvania, are ending in-person instruction and moving classes online, either temporarily or for the semester. Many are canceling events and travel, too.
Several schools are extending spring break, including the University of Pennsylvania, which said students should go home by Sunday for the rest of the semester, or not return from spring break.
The university's president announced via email on Wednesday that classes will resume on March 23, but they will be online for the rest of the semester. Staff members will help get belongings returned to the students who are away.
"We're international, too. So, we're from Asia, so, things aren't really good back home, either. So, we're kind of stuck in this situation where we don't know if we should be going back or if we should stay on campus," said another.
Penn State, which said it is moving to online classes through at least April 3, also strongly encouraged students to stay home during the three-week period and not return to campus.
Penn, along with other Ivy League schools, canceled all spring athletics practice and competition for the rest of the academic year.
Meanwhile, hospitals and prisons, including the state prison in Phoenix, in suburban Philadelphia, moved to tighten visitor policies or screening, and some schools in suburban Philadelphia canceled events or planned to close for a day to test their preparedness.
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