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More Coronavirus Cases Confirmed In NC, Two In Forsyth County

North Carolina officials gather for a task force meeting about the state's response COVID-19 in Raleigh on March 12, 2020. Image: WFDD screenshot of task force meeting.

North Carolina's top public health official says the number of people in the state testing positive for COVID-19 has grown to 12. State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Tilson announced the four additional cases Thursday while at a task force meeting about the state's response to COVID-19. Two of those cases are in Forsyth County.

State officials say they are in a better position today than yesterday in terms of testing and collaboration. Gov. Roy Cooper says it's a rapidly evolving situation and officials are learning minute by minute.

“I know there are other results from other parts of the state that we need to confirm, so there will be additional cases and this epidemic is going to get worse before it gets better,” he says.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Cooper already declared a state of emergency earlier this week and said he expected to provide more guidance to the public later Thursday.

Recommendations on mass gatherings and work environments already have been released. The University of North Carolina system is making plans for campuses to shift to online classes later this month. Wake Forest Univerity and Elon University will also suspend in-person classes. 

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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