Palm Springs and Riverside County leaders sought to quell concerns Thursday about the rapidly spreading coronavirus and related public health concerns ahead of the desert's marquee events this spring.

Upcoming events include the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals, BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament and ANA Inspiration golf tournament.

"Residents and travelers to our region should know that the situation is safe," Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said at a press briefing Thursday morning.

He, however, cautioned that the situation is rapidly developing across the nation and world.

“Knowing that the Coachella Valley is a resort destination for the world, the situation could be very fluid,” he said.

On Saturday, Riverside County health officials announced a patient who tested positive for the virus was being treated at Eisenhower Health hospital in Rancho Mirage.

Riverside County's public health officer, Cameron Kaiser, proclaimed a public health emergency Sunday morning.

Related:Riverside County school employee being tested for novel coronavirus, county officials say

Related:Will coronavirus cancel Coachella? Riverside County public health officer says not yet

During Thursday's news conference, Kaiser said he had not instructed any large-scale events, like Coachella, to cancel. He said the county is in "regular communication" with Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles-based company that produces the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and its country music counterpart Stagecoach over three weekends in April.

About three hours after Thursday's press conference, Goldenvoice announced Stagecoach's lineup — another indicator that the music festival is set to go on as planned.

As the public health officer, Kaiser may take any preventive measure to "protect and preserve the public health,” the county's senior public information specialist Jose Arballo Jr. told The Desert Sun.

He "enforces county ordinances and state and federal statutes pertaining to public health and sanitary matters" in cities and unincorporated territories, according to Riverside County.

If the virus situation evolves and Kaiser does make an emergency declaration to shut down Coachella or another major event, he said, "we would do with as much lead time as possible to enable these vital components of our economy to continue to take place in later years, while keeping their attendees and all residents of Riverside County safe."

Kaiser declined to say how many cases would necessitate a decision to cancel an event. “The minute I give a number, that number is automatically wrong,” he said.

He said he considers issuing an emergency declaration to cancel an event a "drastic move."

"I would not take that action lightly," he said. "We'd rather work with them, rather than impose that on them."

But event organizers must gauge whether their events draw more international or domestic travelers, as the risk is slightly greater with international tourists, he said.

"It's the responsibility of these large groups to understand who their attendee base is."

Kaiser did point to one hard rule that events organizers should keep in mind as they consider how to keep attendees safe: “If they’re going to be screening at the door, they shouldn’t have the event,” he said.

Bruce Barton, who heads up the country’s emergency management department, said his staff has assembled a department operations center focused on “planning, preparedness and mitigation.” That includes disseminating information about the virus to the public online as it gets reviewed. Operators at the 211 line are also prepped with information.

They’re also conducting “preparedness calls” with hospitals, schools, and other institutions to see what they’re support needs are, he said.

Palm Springs Mayor Geoff Kors said the city has increased deep cleanings at Palm Springs International Airport, Palm Springs Convention Center and public libraries.

California declares state of emergency

The press conference comes as California has ratcheted up its response to the threat of the virus. Los Angeles County and the state declared states of emergency due to the illness on Wednesday.

California had reported 53 confirmed cases of coronavirus and one death as of Wednesday, according to the state Department of Public Health. More than 9,400 people who returned to the U.S. through the San Francisco and Los Angeles international airports are self-monitoring for symptoms, according to the department.

While the Riverside County public health department has not reported any cases of the virus, a Riverside County resident who was passenger on the Diamond Princess cruise ship tested positive for coronavirus and was treated at a Northern California medical facility.

The upcoming tennis and golf tournaments and music festivals bring tens of thousands of people to the Southern California desert each spring, filling hotels and boosting the local economy. But with the virus spurring cancellations of conferences and events like Miami's Ultra Music Festival, a massive electronic music event scheduled for later this month, questions are swirling about the fate of the desert's large-scale events this year.

Tourism officials report that valley hotel stays were up in January and February, with no major cancellations of events or conventions. Scott White, head of the Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, said at this point, without any travel restrictions in place or cases in Riverside County, there’s no reason for them to do so.

“So far, we see nothing on the horizon in terms of cancellations or reduction in terms of visitation to the destination,” White said.

Tourism is a major economic generator for the area, contributing an equivalent of about $4,000 per household that would otherwise be raised in taxes, White said. He couldn’t say how much economic impact is driven by Coachella.

Indio officials issued a statement that the music festivals are five weeks away and officials are “actively monitoring input from local, state and national health officials to assess the health risks of COVID-19, and update those risks to stakeholders.”

The statement adds: “Additionally, we are in contact with Riverside County Public Health, which is facilitating conference calls and sharing information with partner agencies.”

Goldenvoice hasn't responded to request for comment.

The BNP Paribas Open, one of the largest and most important tournaments in professional tennis, is slated to begin Monday. Officials have said they are "watching this ongoing issue, both in the United States and around the world, but it has not impacted our plans for the BNP Paribas Open."

"We are in communication with the WTA and ATP Tour, following the guidelines of the Riverside County Health Department and the CDC, and will continue to monitor the situation," officials told The Desert Sun. "As always, our absolute top priority is the health and safety of the athletes, fans and everyone involved with the tournament."

The ANA Inspiration is the first major championship of the LPGA women’s golf season and will be played at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage for the 49th consecutive year April 2-5. Local tournament officials made no comment other than to say they are waiting for any statement from the LPGA itself or from management of International Management Group, the company that owns and operates the event.

The LPGA has already responded to the coronavirus threat by canceling three tournaments this year, one in Thailand, one in Singapore and one in China. The tour plays in two weeks at the Volvik Founders Cup in Phoenix March 19-22.

Public health officials urge people to practice good hygiene to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the virus. They encourage people to wash their hand with soap and water; avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; and stay away from work, school or other people if they develop respiratory symptoms like fever and cough.

None of the 223 artists participating in the La Quinta Art Celebration, which takes place today through Sunday at Civic Center park, have canceled over the coronavirus, event organizer Kat Hughes said. Artists are coming from 38 states and four countries.

This is a developing story.Check back for updates.

Rebecca Plevin is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach her at rebecca.plevin@desertsun.com. Follow her on Twitter at @rebeccaplevin.