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Knox County has its first confirmed case of coronavirus, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

There have been 18 cases confirmed in Tennessee: 8 in Williamson County, 6 in Davidson County, 2 in Shelby and one each in Sullivan and Knox Counties.

This is an isolated case because the person was exposed to the virus overseas. The person has been isolated since returning to the U.S. and they have not required hospitalization, the Knox County Health Department said in a press release.

"Knox County has been preparing for the possibility of a case of COVID-19 since it was first reported in the United States,” said Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs. “Our Knox County Health Department is coordinating our response efforts and will continue to work to reduce the spread of infection and protect the health of all people in Knox County.”

The total number of Tennesseans infected with the coronavirus jumped Thursday, including a health care provider with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“We understand the concern surrounding COVID-19, but we hope Knox County citizens can take some comfort in the fact that we were expecting a case, and that we routinely utilize extensive plans and national best practice to respond to all reportable infectious diseases in Knox County,” said KCHD Senior Director Dr. Martha Buchanan.

“The most important thing the public can do is to follow the CDC guidance, which includes the standard hygiene practices we recommend to prevent the spread of flu and other viruses.”

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On Thursday morning, Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency.

Multiple professional and amateur sports leagues have canceled or postponed all future games.

Several universities and colleges announced closures and a new remote work format, including, Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee campuses.

The University of Tennessee suspended all in-person classes on Wednesday evening. Those classes will move to an online format starting on March 23 through at least April 3, because of concerns about the coronavirus.