The announcement Alabamaians had been waiting for came just before 10 a.m. on Friday: The state's first case of the COVID-19 coronavirus had been confirmed in a Montgomery County man.

The patient is a civilian employee on Maxwell Air Force Base, military officials announced in a press release Friday afternoon, who fell ill after traveling from Illinois.

“The civilian employee is the first confirmed case in the state of Alabama,” said Col. Patrick Carley, 42nd Air Base Wing commander. “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.”

Alabama State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris said Friday the patient had other chronic health issues, making him a high-risk and prioritized candidate for COVID-19 testing, which critics say has been slow to ramp up in Alabama as other states identified dozens of infected patients.

The man’s test results were confirmed about 8 a.m. Friday, and he is currently self-isolating, not hospitalized. State officials have not provided other identifying information, such as the man's age, in an effort to protect his privacy.

"That person is medically stable, to my understanding," Harris said.

A day after many Alabama colleges, following other states’ lead, began shuttering their campuses, the news triggered a new wave of closures and cancellations across the River Region as public health officials urged people to take social distancing measures in an effort to slow the spread of the respiratory virus.

Prior to the diagnosis, Alabama was one of the last states in the nation to confirm COVID-19 cases, though experts cautioned that this was not indicative of whether or not the coronavirus had spread to the Yellowhammer state.

Despite days without a confirmed patient, public health officials said it was a matter of when, not if, Alabama would begin seeing official cases.

“We have been expecting to find a case for some time. We’ve tried to be very open about that. We are not surprised that we found a case,” Harris said Friday at a news conference announcing the confirmed case.

The city of Montgomery moved to shut down any large public events, on advice from public health officials who are cautioning people to avoid gatherings of hundreds of people.

All city sponsored events, including an upcoming half marathon and rodeo, are cancelled effective immediately. City buildings may be limited in terms of access, though access to “essential city services” will not be.

The city has asked people stay inside, echoing public health recommendations to practice “social distancing,” and encouraged institutions and companies cancel events.

Despite major state universities such as the University of Alabama and Auburn University shuttering their campus and transitioning online classes for several weeks, Alabama K-12 education leaders say they have not yet made a decision to close Alabama schools. Montgomery Public Schools has cancelled all sporting events until further notice.

State superintendent Eric Mackey announced on Friday that he has advised all districts to cancel any events that would bring a large number of students together. That includes school assemblies and student plays, he said. He did not directly address sporting events. Additionally, all professional development conferences for teachers and administrators will be cancelled through March and April.

Mackey earlier in the week said Alabama schools would tighten restrictions around sick students, requiring anyone with a fever to remain at home for a minimum of 72 hours. If a student, faculty or staff member were to test positive for COVID-19, the school would immediately close for cleaning.

More:Coronavirus: Here's the latest COVID-19 news in Alabama and River Region

Before Friday's positive test, the state lab had tested fewer than 50 patient samples, all of which tested negative. Private labs, recently able to test for COVID-19 infections, had also reported all negatives.

ADPH on Thursday announced it was training two additional microbiologists to help in COVID-19 testing in the state lab, and that officials had "liberalized" the initial federally recommended criteria on who would be eligible to receive the test.

Alabama's state lab was certified to begin COVID-19 testing March 5.

In a statement released on social media, ADPH said that the microbiologists required to run the test require specific certification and training, and Alabama currently has a "limited staff who can perform this testing. We are quickly training 2 additional microbiologists to perform these tests."

Health officials say they now plan to implement testing centers across the state, thanks to a $5 million fund released by the Alabama Legislature on Thursday.

Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, said the funding was for COVID-19 response while the state awaits $8.1 million from the federal government to address the outbreak.

Harris said much of the legislature funds will be used for screening centers around the state. He expects initially 20 to 25 around the state, with plans to have screening centers in "virtually every county."

"Screening centers will streamline the process somewhat. For obvious reasons, you can see why we wouldn't someone with a lot of symptoms going to an Emergency Department and get screened. We're working closely with the Hospital Association to get these locations identified," Harris said.

The coronavirus causes mild to moderate flu- and pneumonia-like illnesses in those young and relatively healthy. But it can be deadly, particularly in those older than 60 or with pre-existing health conditions. There are also rising concerns about how equipped American hospitals are to handle large influxes of cases, as currently seen in Italy.

Harris said Thursday state officials were recommending people practice "social distancing" as a way to slow the spread of the illness and help health care providers manage it. He advised avoiding large gatherings and, while he said they were not yet recommending office and school closures, said people should consider working from home if they can.

“Alabamians are smart and savvy, and I know they will continue taking appropriate precautions to prevent the spread to themselves or others," Gov. Kay Ivey said in a statement Friday. "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 well-being of all Alabamians."

More:UAB epidemiologist talks about preparing for coronavirus in Alabama

More:Tracking the spread of coronavirus cases in the US and worldwide

Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Melissa Brown at 334-240-0132 or mabrown@gannett.com.

Reporters Brian Lyman, Kirsten Fiscus, Krista Johnson and Sara Macneil contributed to this report.