A San Francisco Public Works Community Clean volunteer wearing a face mask removes trash on a street in the Chinatown district of San Francisco, California, on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday the state is currently monitoring at least 8,400 people for COVID-19, a day after health officials confirmed the first possible community transmission of the coronavirus in a Solano County resident.
“This is a fluid situation right now and I want to emphaize the risk to the American public remains low,” said Dr. Sonia Y. Angell, California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer during a press conference. ”There have been a limited number of confirmed cases to date.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t know exactly how the new California patient, who’s receiving medical care in Sacramento County, contracted the virus. The patient didn’t have a relevant travel history or exposure to another patient with the virus, the CDC said Wednesday.
California health officials said the patient wasn’t under quarantine before her diagnosis and was out and about in her community.
“We are currently in deep partnership with CDC on one overriding protocol that drives our principle focus right now and that’s testing, and the importance to increase our testing protocols and to have point of contact diagnostic testing as our top priority not just in the state of California but I imagine all across the United States,” Newsom said at a press conference.
California health officials have 200 testing kits on hand and will be receiving more over the next few days, Newsom said.
CNBC’s Noah Higgins-Dunn contributed to this article.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.