DENVER (AP) — Gov. Jared Polis said Thursday that two people have tested positive for coronovirus in Colorado, marking the state’s first cases in the global outbreak.
The governor announced both cases during a news conference. The first is a man in his 30s who was visiting from out of state when checked into a hospital in Frisco, where many of Colorado’s ski resorts are located, because of a possible respiratory illness.
Polis said he did not have any details about the second case, but said the two are unconnected.
The man had traveled to Italy the month before, but did not show any symptoms when he flew to Colorado on Feb. 29, Polis said. The man’s traveling companion also tested positive for the virus in another state.
The man’s fiancee and two of his friends have been quarantined, and health officials don’t believe at this time that he exposed any other travelers, Polis said.
“When he arrived here he was healthy, and he recreated with his friends who are now under a quarantine order,” Polis said.
The man is recovering in isolation in Jefferson County outside of Denver, and the state health department is working with local public health agencies to identify anyone who could have been exposed to the man to monitor them for signs and symptoms.
“Like other states, we expected to begin seeing cases in Colorado and that is why we have been preparing for the past couple of months, in conjunction with local public health agencies and healthcare partners,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, the state health department’s executive director.
The test results will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.
The outbreak that began in China has also hit hard in Italy, where the man reportedly traveled before going to Colorado. There have been 148 deaths in Italy caused by the virus as of Thursday.
The number of U.S. cases has grown rapidly as more labs started testing and guidelines for eligibility were expanded. There are now more than 200 cases across 17 states, with 12 U.S. deaths.
Colorado was relying on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct tests, but the state health department says it can now test up to 160 samples a day at its laboratory with results expected within 24 hours.
The state is also testing specimens from patients who have symptoms and have either been in contact with someone else confirmed to have the virus or have traveled to parts of the world where infection rates are high.