UPDATE: A State of the State Town Hall scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Newark Senior Center has been postponed over coronavirus concerns, Governor John Carney's office announced late Tuesday.

The decision was made in light of the Delaware Division of Public Health;s recommendation that "older Delawareans and people with severe chronic health conditions" should "avoid crowds as much as possible" to minimize their risk of contracting novel coronavirus COVID-19.

Delaware still has three pending cases under investigation but, so far, remains untouched by the disease.

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Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro on Tuesday called for health insurance companies to recognize the importance of care for novel coronavirus COVID-19 as a covered essential health benefit, and for telehealth and telemedicine options to be made available to patients undergoing testing.

Coronavirus fast facts: Latest numbers: More than 113,000 people are infected globally and 4,000 are dead, according to CNN's tally. Italy on lockdown: All 60 million residents are under restrictions, including travel checks, school closures and bans on public events. WDEL's got you covered: For all of WDEL's latest novel coronavirus COVID-19 coverage, including a list of symptoms and important numbers, locations for PUIs, and stories relating to the pandemic, visit WDEL.com/news/coronavirus.

“Concerns around the cost of care for coronavirus may be a significant factor in residents deciding not to seek out medical interventions when symptoms arise, leading to negative health impacts on the individual, and an increased possibility of the spread of the virus,” said Commissioner Navarro. “Ensuring testing and expanding telemed options may be the biggest thing we can do to prevent the escalation of new transmissions.”

Some companies are already on-board. Last week, both Aetna and Highmark announced they'd be providing resources for coronavirus-related medical expenses and testing. Aetna said it would be waiving co-pays for diagnostics, offer zero co-pay for telemedicine visits for any reason, and be distributing care packages for members diagnosed with COVID-19.

Health care provider Highmark announced in a statement it would be covering coronavirus testing for its customers:

"With COVID-19 (or the coronavirus) commanding the news, Highmark understands that this issue is of great concern for our health plan members. In an effort to address the spread of the coronavirus and bring peace of mind to our members, Highmark will cover coronavirus testing, when recommended by a medical professional, for members of our fully-insured group customers, as well as members of our Medicare Advantage and ACA plans. "At their discretion, our self-insured health plan sponsors will be able to opt-out of this program."

"I applaud those carriers who have committed to waiving upfront costs for their consumers," Navarro said. "Residents may avoid being tested simply because they can’t afford to pay their co-pays or deductibles, and I commend the companies that are taking the barrier of economic ability out of the equation."

Navarro's announcement came as Delaware public health officials hosted a livestreamed discussion regarding the state's response to the outbreak, the second such panel hosted in as many weeks.

Delaware, which has a single state public health laboratory outside of the commercial entities like LabCorp, has yet to see a confirmed case of novel coronavirus COVID-19. Seventeen individuals have tested negative so far and three individuals, one in each county, remain "persons under investigation" with tests still pending, according to Division of Public Health Director Dr. Karyl Rattay.

Editor's Note The above video was recorded prior to public health officials announcing late Tuesday there were now three possible cases under investigation. This story has been updated to reflect that new case, and the location of those investigations.

Anyone who's traveled to a "country of concern," which includes China, Iran, South Korea, or Italy, or has been exposed to an individual who has traveled to a country of concern should seek out testing.

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As the virus spreads, contact with outside travelers becomes less important as a possible cause, and anyone experiencing symptoms of fever, coughing, or shortness of breath should seek out testing as well.

Rattay also addressed "social distancing," which is the concept of removing one's self from situations where they could be inadvertently exposed to the illness. Not shaking hands, remaining several feet from other individuals, and staying away from large crowds--a particular issue with the upcoming St. Patrick's Day festivities on the slate--are all advisable.

"So really that's what social distancing is, separating yourself from other people," she said. "We can cause social distancing by closing things down, so if you stop an event from happening or close schools, or have people work from home, that helps to support social distancing."

New Jersey has already declared a state of emergency, after seeing its first coronavirus death announced Tuesday.

“We are sad to report the first death in a case of COVID-19 in New Jersey. Our prayers are with the family during this difficult time. We remain vigilant to doing all we can — across all levels of government — to protect the people of New Jersey," the New Jersey Governor's Office said in a statement.

That state's dealing with 15 positive cases of the virus beyond that death, while Pennsylvania has seen a dozen presumed positive cases, including it's first case in the city of Philadelphia, also announced by state officials on Tuesday.

Locally, universities and institutions of higher learning are amending spring break schedules or moving to online formats in the face of coronavirus. Rowan, Rutgers, and West Chester University have all announced plans to avoid potential spread of the disease. West Chester and Rutgers announced they would be moving to remote learning for the remainder of the semester.

Rowan University pushed the return from spring break back from March 23 to March 30, to allow for further "planning." Princeton University classes are going virtual once students return from spring break. The University of Pennsylvania are "considering" a similar move.

President Donald Trump signed into law last week an $8.3 billion relief package to help combat the disease. He said he did not get tested for coronavirus even after he met with some lawmakers who had been exposed to the virus because the White House doctor said he didn't need to.

"I don't think it's a big deal. I would do it," Trump said when asked why he hadn't been tested. He added that he feels "very good."

"It's something I would do, but again, spoke to the White House doctor -- a terrific guy, a talented guy. He said he sees no reason to do it," Trump said.

At least five members of Congress have announced that they would self-quarantine after coming into contact with an individual who has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference.

Worldwide, latest estimates indicate there are 113,000 cases of the illness, and the death toll attributed to the virus passed 4,000, according to CNN. In Italy, 168 patients died in a single 24-hour period, Italian officials announced Tuesday--following 97 deaths the day prior.

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Reporting from CNN and NBCPhiladelphia contributed to this report.