Arizonans are at "heightened risk" for new coronavirus and state health officials are particularly worried about older adults, including those in nursing homes.

"Arizonans should be concerned about the possibility of getting COVID-19," Dr. Cara Christ, the Arizona Department of Health Services director, said Monday. "I would say that the risk to Arizonans is heightened. ... Act like everyone has it."

In light of news that there had been community spread of COVID-19 in Arizona, Christ and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey briefed reporters in a joint press conference about new precautions the state is taking, specifically with older adults and people with serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and lung problems.

Ducey pledged transparency from the state.

"When I know something, you'll know what we know," he told reporters. "COVID-19 is my top priority, my team's top priority, and Dr. Cara Christ's top priority."

While emphasizing that 80% of people who get COVID-19 have mild symptoms, Ducey said the state is taking stepped-up measures to protect those most at risk.

"We've seen the deaths in Washington state. We've seen what's happened in China, in Italy, in South Korea and in Iran. We want to take every possible precaution to prevent community spread," Ducey said. "Seniors, especially those with underlying health conditions, are most at risk for serious complications."

Anyone in that high-risk category should be prepared with extra prescription medications, extra over-the-counter medication and other supplies such as groceries, Christ said.

High-risk individuals should avoid people who are sick (stay at least six feet away), wash their hands often, clean and disinfect high-touch areas such as doorknobs, faucets, light switches and phones and stay away from crowds if possible.

Those in high-risk populations should have a plan in place for what they will do in case they get sick, and if their caregiver gets sick, Christ said.

At this point, state officials are not recommending leaders cancel large events, though some have already chosen to do so as a precaution. The Tucson Festival of Books, scheduled for this weekend, announced Monday that it would be canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.

Earlier Monday, Ducey said he met with leaders from long-term care facilities across the state to talk about new recommendations for keeping vulnerable residents safe.

News of multiple deaths from new coronavirus in a Washington state long-term-care facility is worrisome and Arizona officials said they want to avoid a similar scenario here.

For that reason, they are asking long-term-care facilities in Arizona to take several additional precautions, including separate dining areas for people with respiratory illnesses, visitor screening, and clearly marked signs instructing people not to visit if they have respiratory symptoms.

"There has now been community spread of COVID-19 in Arizona and we are expecting more cases," Christ said. "While it is impossible to predict how many cases we will have, the number of cases could be similar to a flu season in Arizona."

So far this flu season, nearly 28,000 cases have been reported. Not everyone who gets the flu is tested for it and therefore the case count does not reflect the actual number of people infected.

As of Monday, Arizona had six confirmed or presumptive positive cases of new coronavirus.

One of the presumptive positive cases is in a Pinal County resident in her 40s who is a health care worker and is considered the first case of "community spread" of the new coronavirus, meaning health officials don't know how she got it. She had not recently traveled to an affected area and had no known contact with an infected person.

The woman is hospitalized in Maricopa County and is stable. An official with Pinal County said the woman is expected to be discharged from the hospital this week.

Reach the reporter at Stephanie.Innes@gannett.com or at 602-444-8369. Follow her on Twitter @stephanieinnes.

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