Alabama has two confirmed cases of coronavirus, state officials confirmed Friday afternoon.

The first case was reported in Montgomery County. The second is a person in Jefferson County who has been isolating at home.

There are also preliminary reports of three additional cases, which would bring the total to five, State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris confirmed Friday evening.

Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency Friday night and said all K-12 schools will close for two and half weeks starting at the close of business Wednesday.

Maxwell Air Force Base confirmed Friday afternoon a civilian employee who works at Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base tested positive for coronavirus and was the state’s first case. The person returned to Alabama after traveling to Illinois and reported not feeling well. Medical agencies off-base are treating the individual.

“The civilian employee is the first confirmed case in the state of Alabama,” said Col. Patrick Carley, 42nd Air Base Wing commander. “The individual is being evaluated and treated by health care professionals. The continued safety of our community is of upmost importance. We are working with our base medical staff and other off base health care agencies to ensure we mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in accordance with established CDC and DOD guidelines.”

Montgomery’s Baptist Medical Center East is treating a patient with coronavirus, Baptist Health confirmed Friday afternoon. The hospital has maintained a log of the people who have been in contact with the patient and turned that over to state health officials.

Baptist Health says there is no reason to panic or cancel an appointment if you are scheduled for medical care.

“Baptist Health team members have been preparing for this for months and are well prepared,” Baptist Health said in a news release.

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[ORIGINAL STORY]

A person who lives in Montgomery County has become Alabama's first confirmed case of coronavirus.

That person had recently traveled out of state, Alabama Public Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Friday at a news conference.

Their identity will not be released though Harris did reveal the patient suffers from chronic health problems.

Harris said guidance regarding schools remains the same---they should remain open but avoid large gatherings.

Upon learning of the confirmation Governor Kay Ivey released this statement:

“Along with my fellow Alabamians, I have closely monitored the rapidly changing events regarding the Coronavirus (COVID-19). As a state, we have taken precautionary measures and made preparations in the case that the virus would eventually reach our state. As I have emphasized time and again, the safety and health of Alabamians is paramount."

Harris expects more cases will be confirmed in Alabama and said testing turnaround times are now 24 to 48 hours and can be less than 24 hours in certain cases.