The first case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Tennessee, Governor Bill Lee said in an announcement Thursday morning.

Officials said the patient is a 44-year-old male in Williamson County who recently returned from out of state travel. He tested positive on Wednesday.

"It's been a very difficult week for our state in a lot of ways," Lee said. "Preparedness is how we deal with situations like this."

The man has been asked to self-quarantine at his home.

Officials said his symptoms are mild.

“We are working closely with local health care partners to identify contacts and contain spread of this disease in our communities,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “We’ve been anticipating identification of COVID-19 cases in Tennessee. At this time, the overall risk to the general public remains low. We are continuing to work with the CDC and other agencies to provide guidance to Tennesseans to protect their health.”

The Department of Health launched a Tennessee Coronavirus Public Information Line effective at 11 a.m. Thursday in partnership with the Tennessee Poison Center.

The hotline number is 877-857-2945 and will be available from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Williamson County Schools announced they will be closed Friday, March 6 and Monday, March 9 for a districtwide deep cleaning.

At least 11 people have died from Coronavirus in the US so far.

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