****UPDATE: Governor Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency for North Carolina on Tuesday due to the ongoing spread of coronavirus.****

Health officials said Monday an Indiana resident who recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus traveled through North Carolina’s Durham and Wake counties last week.

A release from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Monday said the person visited the two counties from March 2 through March 6 and experienced symptoms of the new virus, called COVID-19, while in the area. The department said the person is back in Indiana and is in isolation.

The Durham County Department of Public Health and the Wake County Public Health Division will work to identify close contacts, according to the release. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines close contact as being within approximately six feet of a person with a COVID-19 infection for a prolonged period of time of 10 minutes or longer.

Additionally five more people in North Carolina have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the state to seven. One case was identified in Wake County and another was found in Chatham County last week.

The five people traveled to Boston in late February to attend a BioGen conference. Several cases of coronavirus across the country have been tied to that conference. All of the individuals are in isolation at their respective homes.

The Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the CDC, encourages North Carolinians to take the same measures health care providers recommend to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses. Those practices include frequently washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, staying home if you are sick and covering coughs and sneezes with your elbow.

To read the full release from North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services, visit its website.

Related Stories
‹
North Carolina Crosses 100 Reported COVID-19 Deaths
North Carolina has surpassed 100 deaths in the state from COVID-19 causes and symptoms. When state health officials released their updated number of reported coronavirus-related cases and deaths Tuesday morning, the death count rose to 108, up from 86 deaths the previous day. It is at least the 23rd state in the U.S. to cross […]
North Carolina Crosses 1,000 Positive COVID-19 Cases
North Carolina has more than 1,000 positive COVID-19 cases reported, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. The department updated its totals on Sunday morning, reporting 1,040 positive cases of the novel coronavirus across the state. Approximately 18,945 tests have been completed and four North Carolinians have died as a result of […]
North Carolina Reports First COVID-19 Deaths in State
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported the first COVID-19 associated deaths in the state on Wednesday morning. According to a release from Governor Roy Cooper’s press office, the department reports a North Carolinian from Cabarrus County died on Tuesday from complications associated with the virus. The patient is described as having been […]
Durham County Resident Tests Positive for COVID-19
Durham County health officials said a resident tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Wednesday while outside of North Carolina. A message from the county’s health department said the resident was not in North Carolina state when they began feeling symptoms and were tested. The individual will remain out-of-state while recovering. A Durham County resident […]
Second Coronavirus Case in NC Identified in Chatham County
A second North Carolina resident has tested positive for the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19, according to state health officials. In a release from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the second case is a Chatham County man who recently traveled to Italy and experienced flu-like symptoms. The department said this case […]
5 Things We Know and Still Don’t Know About COVID, 5 Years After It Appeared
COVID-19 is less deadly than it was in the pandemic’s early days. But the virus is evolving, meaning scientists must track it closely.
Tracking the Number of Coronavirus Cases in North Carolina
COVID-19 Cluster Reported at UNC's Avery Residence Hall
UNC has identified a cluster of COVID-19 cases at Avery Residence Hall on campus. This is the second COVID-19 cluster identified at UNC in 2021 and the first since the spring semester began on January 19. Earlier this month, a cluster was identified at Carmichael Residence Hall between students who lived on campus during winter […]
Mack Brown, Roy Williams Receive First Doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine
UNC coaches Mack Brown and Roy Williams have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the university confirmed on Friday. “I think that everyone who has the opportunity to take the vaccination should,” Williams said in a Zoom call with reporters. Brown, 69, and Williams, 70, are eligible to receive the vaccine thanks to […]
North Carolina Shatters Single-Day Record With 10,000 New COVID-19 Cases
North Carolina reported 10,398 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, shattering the single-day record for new cases as the state continues to see a significant spread of the virus. North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services reports a total of 592,746 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic. In addition, the state reported 137 […]
›