NEW ORLEANS - Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Monday that Louisiana's first presumptive positive coronavirus patient was being treated for pneumonia in the hospital when days later a test identified the virus.

“The person went to an emergency room and had been there for a while and was tested for pneumonia, I believe,” Cantrell said hours after Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the case. “It was kind of getting more severe. At that stage, healthcare workers moved forward with testing this morning and determined it was a presumptive positive.”

The patient, a veteran from Jefferson Parish, was admitted into the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care system's VA hospital in Orleans Parish, according to the Veterans Administration.

"The risk of transmission to other patients and staff remains low, as the veteran is being cared for in respiratory isolation by staff who are specially trained," according to the VA statement from the New Orleans office.

The hospital is following federal health guidelines for testing and treatement, including isolations to prevent spread, according to the statement.

Despite news of the likely presence of the virus in the state, Cantrell noted the risk to the public remains low as the number of cases of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to increase across the country and world.

The state's presumptive positive test results were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for final confirmation.

Information on how the person may have contracted the virus was not provided Monday. And citing patient privacy, city officials did not reveal which hospital the patient was admitted to.

Cantrell's press conference was delayed Monday by a protest organized by members of the New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance chanting, “We work sick, you get sick." Protesters stressed the need for paid sick leave and healthcare for workers in one of the city’s largest industries.

City officials asked the public to remain calm after news of the Louisiana case, stressing that “there is no need to panic” and that no changes to any publicly scheduled events have been made so far.

“We don’t want to excite fear in the public. That’s very important. Once you start down that road it is very difficult to pull it back. We are low in terms of risk and will have thing move forward in terms of special events as they have been planned,” said Cantrell.

A St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the Irish Channel neighborhood of New Orleans remains scheduled for this weekend.

City officials added that the airport and Port of New Orleans have also not announced any changes to their flight or cruise schedules due to concerns about the outbreak. Two major conventions scheduled in March in New Orleans have cancelled so far, including the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the director of the department of health for the city, said that more private doctors should be able to start testing for the coronavirus this week as commercial labs gain the ability to test for the virus. Testing in Louisiana has been limited so far because it was being done strictly through the state’s laboratory with Office of Public Health and the CDC.

“We are asking everyone, that if they feel sick, contact their healthcare provider, call first rather than going to the doctor’s office,” Avegno said.

The state health department has also set up a health hotline for people who do not have a primary care physician. That number is 1-855-523-2652.