Kansas, Missouri confirm 1st coronavirus cases

Officials in Kansas and Missouri have confirmed coronavirus cases in their respective states.

WE CONTINUE TO STAY ONTOP OF BREAKING NEWSTONIGHT --THERE ARE NOWPRESUMPTIVE-POSITIVECASES OF CORONAVIRUSON BOTH SIDES OF THESTATE LINE.BUT THE MESSAGE FROMSTATE OFFICIALS -- DON'TPANIC AND WASH YOUHANDS.WHILE THESE ARE THEFIRST CASES FORMISSOURI AND KANSAS --YOUR RISK OFCONTRACTING COVID-19 ISSTILL EXTREMELY LOW.IN JOHNSON COUNTY,KANSAS - A WOMAN UNDERTHE AGE OF 50 ISISOLATED IN HER HOME --AFTER CONTRACTING THEVIRUS WHIE TRAVELING.MEANWHILE -- WE'REALSO LEARNING TONIGHT -A WOMAN IN HERTWENTIES IS MISSOURI'SFIRST PRESUMPTIVE-POSITIVE CASE.SHE HAD RECENTLYTRAVELED TO ITALY -- ANDIS ALSO ISOLATED ATHOMEPRESUMPTIVE POSTIVEMEANS A PRELIMINARYTEST HAS BEEN DONE BYLOCAL HEALTH OFFICALS ...BUT THE C-D-C HAS NOTCOME IN AND DONE THEIROWN TESTINDEPENDENTLY.WE START OURCOVERAGE TONIGHT WITH41 ACTION NEWSMCKENZIE NELSON LIVE INJOHNSON COUNTY.MCKENZIE YOU WERE ATTONIGHTS PRECONFERENCE ASKINGQUESTIONS ON BEHALF OFVIEWERS.THE JOHNSON COUNTYHEALTH DEPARTMENT DIDNOT SHARE MUCH ABOUTTHE 50 YEAR OLD WOMANIN ORDER TO PROTECTHER IDENTITY.HOWEVER THEY DID SAYSHE TRAVELED TO THENORTHEASTERN PART OFTHE U.S AND EXPERIENCEDSYMPTOMS.AS THEY ARE MONITORINGHER NOW " THEYDON"T WANT THEPUBLIC TO PANIC.MARY BEVERLY - INTERIMDIRECTOR OF JOHNSON COUNHEALTH DEPARTMENTSRight now, we are doingeverything possible to makesure that the public safe.IN A PRESS CONFERENCE"THE JOHNSON COUNTYHEALTH DEPARTMENT SAIDTHE WOMAN TESTEDPRESUMPTIVEPOSITIVE" ON FRIDAY.THAT MEANS THEY AREONLY WAITING ON THE C-D-C"S CONFIRMATIONWHICH IS EXPECTED TOCOME IN THE NEXT FEWDAYS.THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTSAID WHEN SYMPTOMSBEGAN - THIS WOMAN DIDEVERYTHING RIGHT.BEVERLYWhen symptoms startedthey used a mask and thenself isolated.

They notifiedtheir physician before going into the doctors office so thatthey wouldn"t infect otherpeople.RIGHT NOW -THE HEALTH DEPARTMENSAYS THERE"S IS NOEVIDENCE OF WIDE-SPREAD COMMUNITYTRANSMISSION IN THEJOHNSON COUNTY AREA" OR SURROUNDINGCOMMUNITIES.PENNY POSTOAK FERGUSON -COUNTY MANAGER, JOCO GOVSThe risk is low, we"rehaving this conference tonightto just get the information outso it"s not, so peoplearen"t filling it in withmaking stuff up that isworse.THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTSAYS THE WOMANVOLUNTARILY SELF-ISOLATED IN HER OWNHOME " AND IS BEINGMONITORED.NANCY TAUSE - HEALTHSERVICES DIVISION DIRECTSWhat we do then, wehave already started thedisease investigation toidentify other contacts of thisindividual and we will notifyanyone that we identify as aclose contact who could be atrisk.WHILE THE INVESTIGATIONCONTINUES INTO THISFIRST CASE -THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTIS REMINDING PEOPLE TOPRACTICE GOOD HYGENE.SUse precautions, again,wash your hands, stay home ifyour sick, that means yoursefrom work, your children fromdaycare.

Avoid anyone elseyou know who is sick.THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTCOULD NOT SAY WHETHEROR NOT THE WOMAN HASANY CHILDREN.WE"LL KEEP YOUUPDATED AS WE LEARNMORE INFORMATION.REPORTING LIVE INOLATHE, MCKENZIENELSON, 41 ACTION NEWS.KANSAS GOVERNORLAURA KELLY SAYS THESTATE IS WELL PREPAREDTO HANDLE THECORONAVIRUS -- AND THEYARE WORKING WITHHEALTH CARE PROVIDERSACROSS THE STATE ON ARAPID AND EFFECTIVERESPONSE."Gov Kelly: 1:18 Let me say onceagain no one should panic overthisnew virus or this confirmedcase.Kansas is still considered atlow riskfor spread of the virus.

1:2DR. LEE NORMAN IS THEHEAD OF THE KANSDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH..HIS MESSAGE -- THEGENERAL PUBLIC CANHELP BY PRACTICINGPROPER HYGIENE."Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretar450 We predicted this we've hadaconversation together evenwithinthe past few days and said itsjust amatter of time when this spreadthat'soccurring there's going to becasseglobally in Europe and US andherewe are not a great surprise andweare taking it all in stride.

506DR. NORMAN WILL JOIN USLIVE ON SET TOMORROWMORNING DURING OUR10:00 A.M.

SHOW -- RIGHTHERE ON 41 ACTION