By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Pennsylvania officials reported the first two presumptive positive COVID-19 cases today. The one individual is an adult from Wayne County; the other is an adult from Delaware County.

Pennsylvania map/ National Atlas of the United States

This prompted Governor Tom Wolf to sign an emergency disaster declaration to provide increased support to state agencies involved in the response to the virus.

“It’s imperative that we continue to respond quickly and accurately to the coronavirus and its introduction into Pennsylvania,” Gov. Wolf said. “First and foremost, we want all Pennsylvanians to be safe and remain healthy and follow the practical advice of the Department of Health on ways to protect yourself from any virus and that’s by washing hands, covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough and staying home if you are sick.

“It is critical to prepare for and respond to suspected or confirmed cases in the commonwealth and to implement measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The disaster declaration is an additional way we can be prepared, so I authorized the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director or his designee, to assume command and control of all statewide emergency operations and authorize and direct that all commonwealth departments and agencies use all available resources and personnel as is deemed necessary to cope with this emergency situation.”

Got Smallpox?

The disaster declaration follows the Department of Health’s activation of its Department Operations Center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters to conduct public health and medical coordination for COVID-19 throughout the commonwealth and the governor’s announcement earlier this morning about two presumptive positive cases in Pennsylvania.