Orange County recently received its first positive case of the novel coronavirus called COVID-19 at the UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill.

A spokesperson for the UNC Health system confirmed the center is treating a patient with COVID-19 on Thursday. The statement said the hospital, and all UNC Health locations, are following the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department Health of Human Services to treat the case.

In an email with Chapelboro, the spokesperson said all UNC Health hospitals are prepared and equipped to care for more COVID-19 patients as positive tests are identified.

“We continue to work diligently to protect the safety of all patients and staff, while providing critical medical care for any patients who need it,” said the email. “To put it simply: This is what we do, and we are proud of our mission of improving the health and well-being of North Carolina, and providing life-saving medical care for our patients.”

UNC Health did not clarify whether the patient is an Orange County resident. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 does not allow the release of protected health information.

The news comes one day after UNC Health, Duke Health and WakeMed released a joint statement saying the systems are prioritizing or rescheduling many non-critical procedures in an effort to prepare its staff for COVID cases and to preserve resources. Additionally, UNC Health said on Thursday the Triangle region locations will begin performing only priority, urgent procedures and surgical cases in an effort to reduce the use of critical medical supplies.

UNC Health rolled out a new test for the coronavirus on Monday, which was developed at the UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill.

Orange County declared a state of emergency to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on March 13.

Note: 97.9 The Hill has been Chapel Hill and Orange County’s daily source for free local news since 1953. Please consider making a donation to continue supporting important local journalism like this.

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