The person from Maine who was tested for the novel coronavirus has tested negative, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Maine has no confirmed cases of 2019 novel coronavirus, now called COVID-19, and the risk to the general public remains low.





The U.S. CDC conducted the test and informed the state of the results Thursday, according to a news release. No other individual from Maine has met the criteria to be tested for the infection that originated in Wuhan, China.

The individual who was tested voluntarily agreed to stay home, in accordance with U.S CDC guidelines, and has cooperated fully with Maine CDC staff.

COVID-19 has been declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization after more than 40,000 people in two dozen countries were infected by the outbreak that was first detected in December 2019. Signs and symptoms of the respiratory illness include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.

The U.S. CDC has confirmed 15 cases of COVID-19 in six states, the last of which was confirmed Thursday in Texas. Individuals from 41 states and U.S. territories have been tested, and the vast majority of tests in the U.S. have been negative.

The global death toll of the virus is more than 1,000, according to unofficial statistics compiled by Johns Hopkins University. There have been no deaths in the U.S. attributed to the 2019 novel coronavirus.

The Maine CDC is encouraging people to practice good hygiene, to stay home if sick and to share recent travel history with medical providers in case of symptoms like fever, cough, or difficulty breathing.