Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday night to help mitigate the spread of the virus.

LANSING, Mich. — The first two presumptive cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, have been confirmed in Michigan.

A woman from Oakland County with a history of international travel and a Wayne County man with a history of domestic travel were both tested for the virus by Michigan health officials. Specimens will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory testing. Both patients are hospitalized.

The COVID-19 cases were first reported by ABC affiliate WXYZ.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Tuesday night to help reduce the spread of the virus.

“We are taking every step we can to mitigate the spread of the virus and keep Michiganders safe,” said Whitmer. “I have declared a state of emergency to harness all of our resources across state government to slow the spread of the virus and protect families. It’s crucial that all Michiganders continue to take preventative measures to lower their risk, and to share this information with their friends, family and co-workers.”

The state has set up a website for COVID-19, and their preparations for dealing with the virus.

“We are taking the identification of COVID-19 in our state very seriously,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health. “We continue to urge Michiganders to take precautions to prevent the spread of this virus in our state.”

The patient in Wayne County is currently under isolation, and health officials are working to figure out who may have had contact with him.

Khaldun said these are the first known cases of the virus in Michigan, and it is likely there will be community spread.

“It’s crucial that Michiganders continue to take preventative measures. There are easy things we can do to lower risk and lower transmission,” Whitmer said. She listed off recommendations from health officials including washing your hands often for 20 seconds, touching your face less often, replace handshakes with elbow bumps, cover your mouth when you cough.

“The main goal of these efforts is to slow the spread of the virus, not to stop it. It has moved into Michigan," the governor said.

On March 3, as cases of coronavirus continued to pop up across the country, Whitmer announced the creation of four task forces to combat the spread of the virus. They are:

The COVID-19 Task Force on State Operations, which will oversee all aspects of state operations, including employment and facilities. The COVID-19 Task Force on Health and Human Services, which will cover the provision of medical and human services. The COVID-19 Task Force on Education, which will cover all K-12 public schools, universities and colleges The COVID-19 Task Force on Economy/Workforce, which will cover the general economic impact, workforce, supply chain and business continuity.

Whitmer also activated the State Emergency Operations Center at the end of February to coordinate with state, local and federal agencies to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The emergency operations center will facilitate communication between every branch of government, which are working to address coronavirus.

What are the symptoms and ways to prevent COVID-19?

The CDC says patients with confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath

The best prevention for viruses, such as influenza, the common cold or COVID-19 is to:

Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. If not available, use hand sanitizer.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing.

Avoid contact with people who are sick.

If you are sick, stay home, and avoid contact with others.

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