UPDATED: March 11, 6:45 a.m.
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia health officials say the city has its first confirmed case of coronavirus. Officials said they've tested a handful of patients since the test became available last week, and this is the first presumptive positive.
City health officials say the case is an adult from Philadelphia. The person is receiving treatment and is isolated at home.
They believe the individual was exposed to another person believed to have COVID-19. The city is looking into other people who may have been exposed, and they will be quarantined.
As of Tuesday evening, city officials say 17 people are being tested.
"We have said that Philadelphia would see cases of the coronavirus, and now we have our first case in the city," said Dr. Thomas Farley, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. "We expect additional cases will be identified. We are continuing to work to identify cases, quarantine individuals who may have been exposed, and contain this virus. The most important thing you can do to help: if you are sick with fever or cough, stay home. If you think you should be tested, contact your doctor."
Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday morning it was hard to predict the trajectory of the virus.
"This is an organic thing that's happening, and it'll play out the way it plays out, and we'll adjust and issue directives based on how it goes," he said.
After initial resistance from organizers and the mayor, Philadelphia's St. Patrick's Day Parade was canceled.
"After heartfelt consideration and serious conversation with officials from the City of Philadelphia, the St. Patrick's Day Observance Association has decided to cancel the parade and all events related to the 2020 Philadelphia Saint Patrick's Day Parade," the association said in a statement released late Tuesday night.
The city followed up with a statement confirming the decision, saying "we appreciate their willingness to take the health and safety of the marchers and the paradegoers into account."
The decision was consistent with city's recommendation that people not go to public gatherings with more than 5,000 people expected to be in attendance. These events are not automatically canceled, but the recommendation is for the safety of people who are vulnerable to the novel coronavirus.
"Obviously this is a difficult situation and we certainly recognize that many businesses and individuals rely on these sorts of events for their livelihood," said Managing Director Brian Abernathy. "But we do so out of an abundance of caution. This also impacts our sports teams, both professional, collegiate and even high school. It is simply far more important at this point in time to keep residents and visitors out of large crowds of that size."
"The number of cases right now is small, but we want to keep it that way," Farley added. "We want to be ahead of the curve here and move as quickly as possible to try to reduce that spread."
Two major conferences scheduled for the Pennsylvania Convention Center have cancelled. A spokesman said the Convention Center will be using the down time to expedite some capital improvement projects so that workers stay occupied.
The mayor declined to speculate on what the social distancing might do to tourism.
Sporting events
The city's recommendation to stay away from large gatherings, however, has fallen on deaf ears when it comes to many of the city's sports fans.
Rick Lowe is one of the people who packed into a sold out Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday night to watch the Flyers play the Boston Bruins.
He says he was more nervous to watch his team play than he was about catching coronavirus.
"I'm not concerned at all, just like everybody said, just practice healthy hygiene, be safe, be smart about it, Lowe said.
Cheryl Booth says there are very few things that are going to stop her from seeing her Flyers and coronavirus is not one of them.
"We gotta support our guys," she said.
Officials with the Wells Fargo Center say if you are a ticket holder that is feeling ill or has underlying health conditions, you should consider not attending.
As the NCAA tournament creeps closer, officials say they'll monitor the situation and in the upcoming days, they'll make a decision.
Prevention and risk
The best ways to protect yourself from COVID-19 are common-sense hygiene practices: Wash your hands, don't touch your face, cover your cough or sneeze, stay away from sick people, and stay home if you're sick.
For most people, the immediate risk of being exposed to COVID-19 is low, according to the CDC. The risk to the general public depends on how the virus spreads between people.
Most of the reported patients have had mild symptoms. Older adults or people with underlying health conditions are more at risk.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been more than 640 reported cases in the U.S. and 25 deaths, according to the CDC. Worldwide, there are about 113,700 cases and 4,000 deaths.
If someone is experiencing symptoms or believes he or she may have been exposed to the virus, they are advised to call 1-877-PA-HEALTH. The Pennsylvania Department of Health can answer questions and notify a hospital. If you plan on visiting your doctor regarding coronavirus, notify your physician ahead of time so that precautions can be made.
For the latest information, the city says people can text "COVIDPHL" to 888777 to receive coronavirus updates.
Map courtesy of NBC Owned Television Stations. KYW Newsradio's Pat Loeb, Eric Walter, Justin Udo and Rachel Kurland contributed to this report.
CLARIFICATION: The story has been updated to reflect that Philadelphia's St. Patrick's Day Parade has been canceled.
