Monmouth County confirmed its first two "presumptive positive" cases of the coronavirus Monday, as the virus became a growing public health concern in the state and Gov. Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency.

An 83-year-old woman from Hazlet and a 27-year-old man from Little Silver have both tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, according to health officials.

The woman is being treated at Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel after she first experienced symptoms on March 3. Officials said it is unknown how the woman was exposed to the virus.

Hazlet Mayor Michael Glackin said township officials were notified about the case of the township woman by the county health department just after 1 p.m. He said the woman lives in a senior living facility and township and county officials are taking "necessary steps and precautions to stop any possible spread from this facility."

Glackin said first responders and township officials had been in contact with county and state agencies throughout the day.

"At this point we ask all to stay calm and simply follow the directions of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), state, county and township," Glackin wrote in an email.

Coronavirus update: NJ cases now up to 11 with 5 more reported today

The man from Little Silver was being treated at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Monmouth County Freeholder Director Thomas A. Arnone and Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley said in a statement. State health officials said later Monday that the man was not hospitalized.

He began to show symptoms on Feb. 29 after he attended an employee conference in Boston run by the biopharmaceutical company Biogen, said New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. She also said 170 people that attended the Biogen conference from Feb. 24-28 have tested presumptive positive for COVID-19.

Anyone who attended the Biogen meeting has been asked to stay in quarantine and avoid close contact with loved ones. Every Biogen employee in Massachusetts has been asked to work from home until further notice, the company said in a statement.

"We recognize that this is a difficult situation for our colleagues and their loved ones. We are actively working with all relevant departments of public health and hospitals to prioritize the well-being of the people who may have been exposed to COVID-19," the statement said.

Red Bank Regional High School will be closed on Tuesday after officials there learned that a sibling of the Little Silver patient is a student at the high school. Neither the sibling nor any one else in the patient's family has so far been tested for the virus, according to a letter from Superintendent Louis Moore and Principal Julius Clark.

The closure will allow for a "deep cleaning" of the building and provide time for officials to further evaluate the situation.

State health officials announced a total of five new COVID-19 cases across New Jersey, including the two in Monmouth County, on Monday. The new cases bring New Jersey's total number of presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 to 11. Additionally, there are 24 pending cases at the state's health department lab, according to New Jersey health officials.

Officials are awaiting test results in 14 potential COVID-19 cases and 35 people have tested negative for the virus, Gov. Murphy said.

"We have 24 persons under investigation that are in the queue to be tested in our lab," said Perischilli, the state health commissioner. "As you know we do not know what is pending in the commercial labs. The fact that we're continuing to see additional cases is concerning, but it is not unexpected."

Murphy's declaration of a state of emergency assigns state officials to direct the state’s emergency response. It triggers other executive powers and safeguards, such as prohibiting excessive price increases and the ability to waive certain procurement procedures to expedite the delivery of goods and services necessary for coronavirus preparedness and response efforts.

Monmouth University announced Monday evening that it would be cancelling all classes for the reminder of the week after a student contacted the university's Health Services department to report "flu-like symptoms." Officials have not announced any positive cases of COVID-19 connected to the university.

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There was one previous scare in Monmouth County last month, when a patient at Bayshore was tested, but that test came back negative.

There are no suspected cases of COVID-19 in Ocean County, according to Jennifer Crawford, supervisor of communicable diseases at the Ocean County Health Department. One person has so far tested negative for the virus, she said.

Four people in the county have currently been asked to stay at home and avoid close contact with loved ones after returning from travel that put them at increased risk of contracting the virus, Crawford said. The measures are precautionary.

Crawford said it was “difficult to predict” when or if the virus would spread to Ocean County, but she said officials are prepared to respond if cases are confirmed.

On Friday, New Jersey's largest health insurance provider, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, will cover all COVID-19 tests, the company announced.

AmeriHealth New Jersey, another big insurance provider, will also be covering COVID-19 tests and waive co-pays when tests are performed at hospitals or laboratories in its network.

Read more:Coronavirus in NJ, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to cover tests, waive other fees, requirements

There are over 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide, including over 600 in the United States as of Monday afternoon. The virus started in China late last year and has since spread to countries across the globe, with particularly widespread outbreaks in Italy, South Korea and Iran.

The stock market fell sharply again Monday in part over fears about the economic impact of the virus.

To prevent the spread of coronavirus, doctors have stressed the importance of washing one's hands and avoiding touching one's face, among other common precautions, such as wiping down commonly-used surfaces like doorknobs.

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams has implored people to not buy surgical masks as a preventative measure, as they are more beneficial for those with the coronavirus and are needed by those providing treatment. Additionally, those who are sick are encouraged to remain at home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have more information on its website.

There is currently neither a vaccine nor an approved treatment for the new, or novel coronavirus. While younger people may experience the illness as a bad cold with a fever, the concern is that older people and those who have additional medical conditions will develop a more severe form of COVID-19.

As the disease spreads widely in the population, that could lead to a high number of patients requiring hospitalization for pneumonia or acute lung problems that require the use of a ventilator to breathe, as well as death. Data from China show that about 15 percent of people who contract the coronavirus infection develop more severe illness, requiring hospitalization.

This is a breaking news story. Stay with the app.com for more updates.

Joshua Chung is the 9-5 breaking news and weather reporter. A lifelong Jersey Shore resident, he is a recent graduate of Michigan State University. Contact him at jchung@gannettnj.com, 732-557-5748 or on Twitter @Joshchunggg