The coronavirus outbreak has made its way to Columbus, Ohio.

Columbus Public Health reported its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, Mayor Andrew Ginther said in a press conference Saturday.

“We expected this and in the coming days and weeks we will have many, many more,” Ginther said. “Our goal is to slow the spread of the infection and lessen the impact on our community.”

Tests are available in the community but people must be referred by their healthcare provider, Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner for Columbus Public Health, said at the press conference.



The case is a 49-year-old male who recently traveled on the Carnival Valor cruise ship, Roberts said. The man departed from New Orleans Feb. 29 and travelled to Cozumel, Mexico, and the Yucatan, also in Mexico, before returning to New Orleans March 5. He returned to Columbus March 6 and began showing symptoms March 7.

The city is asking anyone in Central Ohio who was on the Carnival Valor cruise ship between Feb. 29 and March 5 to call 614-645-1519, Roberts said.

Anyone who knew or was with the man in the past few days have been contacted. Two are in household quarantine and two contacts who are showing symptoms are in isolation, Roberts said.

“The first case in COVID-19 in our community reminds us that we all must all continue to take precautions to protect our health and stay safe in these uncertain times,” Roberts said. “This is not a hoax.”

Columbus Public Health will continue to work closely with local, state and federal partners and the local health systems to prevent and contain the spread of the virus, Roberts said.

There are 2,175 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States at the time of publication, according to Johns Hopkins University. There have been 47 deaths and 12 recoveries.

As of March 13, there are 13 other confirmed cases in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health website.

At the time of publication there are no confirmed cases at Ohio State. The university suspended in-person classes for the remainder of the semester and is requiring students to move out of dorms by March 22 in an attempt to slow down the spread in a universitywide email sent on Thursday.

The virus spreads from person to person through mucus and saliva, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It easily spreads in the community when people are within 6 feet of one another.

To prevent the spread of the disease people can wash their hands often, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth, avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home when they are sick and cover their coughs and sneezes with their elbows.

“This continues to be a rapidly evolving situation and we expect to see more local cases,” Roberts said. “However, we have been planning for this moment and we will continue to work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.”

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