Somerset County's first presumptive positive case of the coronavirus is a 23-year-old Bridgewater man, Health Commissioner Judith Persichelli said at a news conference Thursday.

The man had close contact with a Pennsylvania resident who tested positive for the disease.

“The Bridgewater Health Department is monitoring the patient and working with the state to identify any potential contacts for follow-up,” said Christine Madrid, Bridgewater's director of Human Services.

Somerset County referred all requests for comment to Bridgewater.

On March 12, the Somerset County Health Department notified Hunterdon Healthcare on behalf of the Pennsylvania Health Department that a Pennsylvania resident originally seen at the Hunterdon Healthcare Raritan Urgent Care Center has tested positive for coronavirus.

The patient visited the Raritan Urgent Care Center on March 4, and presented with symptoms that did not meet the published criteria for coronavirus testing established by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Jersey Department of Health.

Security cameras in public areas have been reviewed and the patient did not have contact with other patients' according to a press release from Hunterdon Healthcare.

The Somerset Department of Health is working with the Hunterdon Healthcare Raritan Urgent Care Center to identify and determine if additional testing and follow-up is required for staff.

Coronavirus in New Jersey

Six new cases were reported on Thursday, bringing the total number of cases to 29.

The other cases are in Bergen, Monmouth, Essex and Morris counties.

Coronavirus in NJ:Two Middlesex County cases are in East Brunswick, Edison

All events that involve a gathering larger than 250 people should be canceled to help contain the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday.

Murphy stressed that he doesn't want the public to panic, but said canceling big events will help "mitigate the potential for exposure and further spread."

"That's everything from youth leagues to sports leagues to concerts and everything in between," he said in a video posted on Twitter. "We are in a public health emergency and a state of emergency ... We've got to be smart about getting out ahead of this."

This is a breaking news story. Stay with MyCentralJersey for updates.

Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com

Mike Deak is a reporter for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.