Update: 4:43 p.m., March 16

Alabama has picked up 1 confirmed case of coronavirus from this morning. The new case is in Montgomery.

The current count stands at 29, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. There are 17 cases in Jefferson County; three each in Shelby and Tuscaloosa counties; two in Montgomery counties; and one each in Baldwin, Elmore, Lee and Limestone counties.

Update 1:10 p.m., March 16:

The number of cases now stands at 28, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. There are 17 cases in Jefferson County; three each in Shelby and Tuscaloosa counties; and one each in Baldwin, Elmore, Lee, Limestone and Montgomery counties.

Update from 10 a.m., March 16:

Dr. Brian Harris, state health officer, said Monday morning the state’s number of coronavirus cases remains at 22.

The greatest number of cases - 12 - is in Jefferson County.

“That’s not surprising given the population of Jefferson County,” he said, adding that most of the testing in the state has taken place in that county.

The current number of cases include:

Jefferson County – 12 cases

Tuscaloosa County – 3 cases

Shelby County – 2 cases

Baldwin County – 1 case

Elmore County – 1 case

Lee County – 1 case

Limestone County – 1 case

Montgomery County – 1 case

The positive case from Lee County involves a healthcare worker from East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. You can read more on the case here.

Earlier:

Alabama now has 22 confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the latest figures from the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Sunday night’s total includes:

Jefferson County – 12 cases

Tuscaloosa County – 3 cases

Shelby County – 2 cases

Baldwin County – 1 case

Elmore County – 1 case

Lee County – 1 case

Limestone County – 1 case

Montgomery County – 1 case

Sunday night’s numbers reflect the first reported cases from Shelby and Lee counties.

There have been no deaths in Alabama.

Earlier:

As of Sunday afternoon, Alabama has 13 cases of coronavirus.

Cases have been reported in the following counties:

Jefferson – 7

Tuscaloosa – 2

Baldwin – 1

Elmore – 1

Limestone – 1

Montgomery – 1

The case reported as out of state was removed from the Alabama total. According to the ADPH, it “recently removed our one out of state case because states do not count residents of other states in their counts (for all diseases, not just COVID-19). We have already contacted the health department in that state and that state is now counting their resident, who has returned there.”

Earlier:

The number of coronavirus cases in Alabama continues to grow.

The state now has 12 confirmed cases, including five in Jefferson County. Numbers released from the Alabama Department of Public Health on Saturday showed the following cases:

Baldwin County – 1

Elmore County – 1

Jefferson County – 5

Limestone County – 1

Montgomery County – 1

Tuscaloosa – 2

One additional case is listed as being out-of-state.

North Baldwin Infirmary has released information on the Baldwin County case.

The patient is currently isolated at home and staff who cared for the patient exercised “universal precautions to protect themselves and others from contracting the virus,” the hospital said in a statement.

Infirmary Health has revised its visitor policy to allow for only two visitors per day. All visitors and vendors must enter through the designated point of entry.

There are no coronavirus-related deaths in Alabama.

Nationally, there are 2,800 coronavirus cases with 58 deaths. The virus has been reported in every state but West Virginia.

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Earlier:

Alabama now has six coronavirus cases.

One of the cases is in Jefferson County. Another case, a civilian employee at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, was announced earlier today.

The Jefferson County case involves someone who traveled internationally and returned home where they were tested by their private physician. Cases have also been reported in Limestone, Elmore and Tuscaloosa counties. The ADPH lists another case as “out-of-town,” but has not provided information on that person.

Earlier:

Alabama’s first coronavirus patient has been confirmed as a civilian employee at Maxwell Air Force Base.

The Montgomery-based installation said the person had returned home after traveling to Illinois and reported not feeling well. He is being held at off-base medical agencies who are monitoring and treating the individual.

Col. Patrick Carley, 42nd Air Base Wing Commander confirmed the civilian employee is the first coronavirus case in Alabama. Alabama Department of Public Health announced earlier today the state has its first case of COVID-19, a respiratory virus that was first detected in China in December 2019.

“The individual is being evaluated and treated by health care professionals. The continued safety of our community is of upmost importance. We are working with our base medical staff and other off base health care agencies to ensure we mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in accordance with established CDC and DOD guidelines,” Carley said.

Harris said the person had preexisting conditions but did not provide other details on the patient.

Earlier:

Alabama has its first case of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus.

State Health Officer Scott Harris said the person is in Montgomery County and recently traveled out of state to an area where coronavirus is present. That is the only positive test in the state at this time, Harris said.

The age and their previous health status will not be released at this time. Harris said the patient did meet Centers for Disease Control guidelines for screening. The person, who is isolated at home, is in a high-risk category due to chronic health conditions.

“The Alabama Department of Public Health has worked hard to prepare and has anticipated receiving a report of the first case of COVID-19 in an Alabama resident," he said during a press conference in Montgomery this morning. “We continue to recommend that people be prudent and encourage them to use proper hygiene behaviors such as handwashing, not touching their faces with unwashed hands, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home if they have fever."

“As a precaution, it is suggested that any gatherings of more than 500 people be postponed or canceled.”

At this time, Harris said no additional recommendations were being made related to school or business closures but he advised people avoid large gatherings.

Until today’s announcement, Alabama was one of only a handful of states with no confirmed cases of coronavirus. There are more than 1,663 cases nationally with 40 deaths. Thirty-one of the deaths have occurred in Washington state.

Gov. Kay Ivey said the state has taken “precautionary measures and made preparations in the case that the virus would eventually reach our state. As I have emphasized time and again, the safety and health of Alabamians is paramount."

“Alabamians are smart and savvy, and I know they will continue taking appropriate precautions to prevent the spread to themselves or others. We have taken a calm and collected approach in preparation for this first confirmed case, and we need to remember that calm and steady wins the race. Alabamians should not be fearful, but instead, use commonsense to watch out for themselves and others. We will remain engaged on the matter and continue prioritizing the health and wellbeing of all Alabamians," Ivey said.

Alabama has confirmed its first #Coronavirus case. Please see my full statement below. Learn more here: https://t.co/ZLxo0FasyT. @ALPublicHealth will have a live press conference at 10 a.m. today. @CDCgov @WhiteHouse #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/z8yzcSNKPt — Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) March 13, 2020

The new coronavirus was first detected in China in 2019. At this time, it’s unclear how easily the virus spreads between people but the rapid transmission had led to travel restrictions across the globe.

Symptoms of COVID-19 range from mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath that appears anywhere between two to 14 days after exposure. Older adults and people with severe chronic health conditions are considered at higher risk for more serious illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

AL.com live updates: You can follow live updates here.

How to protect yourself against COVID-19