Minnesota’s first coronavirus case is a Ramsey County resident who recently traveled on a West Coast cruise ship with known infections, Minnesota Department of Health officials said Friday.

The patient is an older adult who did not require hospitalization and is recovering in isolation from COVID-19 at home. The person began to develop symptoms Feb. 25 and sought medical care on Thursday.

The patient was a passenger on the Grand Princess cruise ship and apparently left the ship before it was put under quarantine off the California coast, state officials said late Friday.

Tests by the state Department of Health came back positive around 12:40 p.m. Friday. The case is considered presumptive until it is confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“State and local governments have been working hard for the past month to prepare, as have many in the private sector,” Gov. Tim Walz said at a Friday news conference. “I’m confident Minnesota is prepared for this.”

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State health officials have said it was only a matter of time before a Minnesota case of the coronavirus emerged. COVID-19 was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in December.

“State and local public health officials are working hard to slow the spread of this virus and protect Minnesotans, but based on how the outbreak has developed elsewhere we need to be prepared for some level of community spread,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said.

Health officials also do not know how many people the infected patient was in contact with after developing symptoms. Anyone they find who was in contact with the infected patient will be asked to isolate themselves for two weeks and report any symptoms.

“As far as we know this is a person who has not been out and about much,” Malcolm said.

UPDATE: Local coronavirus patient one of 26 Minnesota Grand Princess passengers back in the state. About 40 remain on ship.

Kris Ehresmann, director of infectious disease for the Department of Health, said the infected patient acted exactly how health officials have recommended. They stayed home and waited to go to the doctor until they felt they needed care.

“This individual sought care when they felt it was time,” Ehresmann. “They were very forthcoming about the fact they had been on a cruise ship where there was the potential for transmission.”

State officials are receiving about 90 calls per day from physicians who suspect patients in their care may be infected. Typically, to be tested in Minnesota a patient needs to have symptoms and have been exposed to the virus through travel or contact with a patient.

Those criteria are flexible. As of Friday, about 50 samples had been tested and this was the only positive result.

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Malcolm emphasized that this was a travel-related case, not a case of community transmission locally. If the coronavirus begins to spread among people without a clear connection to other infections, state and local leaders will consider “community distancing” measures such as limiting large gatherings and closing schools.

“We are doing exactly what we planned for and prepared to do with the first case being identified in Minnesota,” Malcolm said.

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St. Paul council approves mayor’s basic-income project for poor families Since the outbreak was discovered, more than 100,000 cases and 3,400 deaths have been reported in more than 80 countries. As of Friday, that includes 17 deaths in the United States and more than 220 confirmed cases, with the latest in Minnesota, Indiana and Kentucky.

On Thursday, Walz met with Vice President Mike Pence, who is in charge of the federal response to the virus, at 3M’s global headquarters in Maplewood. The company manufactures the N-95 respirator masks that health care workers need to avoid catching the virus while caring for patients.

The masks are only recommended for people who are infected with the virus or those who are caring for patients. Masks and other supplies have been in short supply in the Twin Cities and nationally.

The state recommends Minnesotans take simple precautions as they would for other respiratory diseases, such as the flu. Those include:

Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or into your sleeve, and then throwing the tissue in the trash.

with a tissue or into your sleeve, and then throwing the tissue in the trash. Washing your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom or before eating. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.

with soap and water for 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom or before eating. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Avoid touching your face — especially your eyes, nose and mouth — with unwashed hands.

— especially your eyes, nose and mouth — with unwashed hands. Stay home if you have cold or flu-like symptoms, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Minnesota Department of Health officials have requested $25 million from the Legislature to combat the coronavirus. The state already has nearly $5 million set aside in an emergency account and bills to provide the rest are advancing.

The state is also set to receive about $10 million from the federal government for COVID-19 response after President Donald Trump on Friday signed a bill to provide $8 billion to the states to respond to the virus.

More information about the state’s response to the coronavirus can be found on the Department of Health’s website. There’s also a hotline available, 651-201-3920, until 8 p.m. Friday and between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.