LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville person infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus is an adult who had traveled recently and remains in isolation at Norton Brownsboro Hospital, the city's top public health official said Monday.
Dr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Metro Department of Health & Wellness, and Norton Healthcare president and CEO Russ Cox said the person is in stable condition at the hospital in northeastern Jefferson County.
Officials declined to provide other details, including the person's age and sex and any information about his or her travel history, during a news conference the day after the city's first case of the respiratory illness was confirmed.
Moyer said nurses and epidemiologists are investigating the patient's activities to "learn who may have been exposed and work with them to take necessary action."
She urged people to take phone calls from the city's health department and answer questions honestly.
Moyer said there is no evidence in Louisville of "community spread" -- or cases in which the source of the infection isn't known. "But we are expecting that it's only a matter of time that there will be," she said.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said city officials have been preparing for the virus and additional cases that are expected.
"We're going to continue to monitor the frequency and details of the cases and make decisions as the situation evolves," he said.
Louisville also has come under additional scrutiny after Episcopal church officials confirmed that a Washington, D.C. rector was diagnosed with the new coronavirus after attending a conference at the downtown Omni hotel in February.
The Washington Post first reported the rector's link to Louisville.
The Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky is urging anyone in the diocese who attended the Feb. 19-22 Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes (CEEP) conference to "consult with their health care provider."
The Right Rev. Terry A. White, the Kentucky diocese bishop, said in an email to church members Sunday night that conference attendees have been notified.
The church consortium has contacted the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Kentucky and Washington, D.C. health officials, executive director Joe Swimmer wrote in a memo.
Swimmer said his organization is monitoring the advice given to other conferences whose attendees have tested positive for the coronavirus. "So far, their expert opinion has been that simply attending a conference with someone who tests positive is not a risk factor," he wrote.
And Monday evening, the consortium provided a statement from D.C. Health that said that people who attended the conference weren't at risk of being exposed to the coronavirus.
“A D.C. resident who tested positive for COVID-19 attended the recent CEEP conference. Based on our investigation, they were asymptomatic, meaning they were not experiencing symptoms like fever or cough, while they were at the conference," the statement said. "Therefore, there is no identified risk of exposure to CEEP conference attendees as a result of contact with this case."
Scott Stuckey, the general manager of the Omni Louisville Hotel, said in a statement that the hotel was told Sunday night that a hotel guest from late February had contracted COVID-19.
"The health and safety of our associates and guests are our top priority. We are in touch with local, state and federal agencies, who have indicated that attending or working at a conference with someone who tests positive is not a significant risk factor," Stuckey said.
"While there is no way to be sure of where the individual was exposed or whether anyone else was exposed, we are following CDC guidance and reiterate that frequent hand washing and minimizing close contact is important for preventing the virus’s spread," he said.
In addition, the statement said Omni officials have reminded their staff about proper cleaning and hand washing and asked employees to stay home if they believe they're sick.
Meanwhile, Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio said the school district has no plans as of Monday to close school.
The Louisville case is one of six confirmed cases in the state. Gov. Andy Beshear announced two more Kentuckians with the illness at a press conference Monday evening.
Three residents of Harrison County have tested positive, as have two people in Lexington.
Public health officials urge people to take steps to stay healthy, including frequent hand washing with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds; sneezing and coughing into an elbow; avoiding hand shaking; not touching one’s face with unwashed hands; and staying home when sick.
Norton's Cox said officials are trying to identify any caregivers who may have been exposed to the patient, who is "in isolation" at the hospital.
He declined to discuss how the patient arrived at the hospital, but he said the person had "respiratory" symptoms.
Fischer said there are no changes as of today to plans for the May 2 Kentucky Derby and pre-Derby events such as Thunder Over Louisville on April 18.
He contrasted the Derby with South by Southwest, the Austin, Texas conference that had been scheduled to start Friday but was canceled because of the virus.
Fischer said Louisville officials have time to evaluate the progression of the virus before people from all over the world descend on the city.
"Unfortunately for them (in Austin) they are kind of at the front end … We will have much more information by the time the Derby rolls around," Fischer said.
There have been no changes to events scheduled at the KFC Yum! Center or any talks of potential cancellations, arena general manager Eric Granger said Monday. But arena officials are taking steps to sanitize frequently touched surfaces such as hand rails, he said.
Public health officials have urged people 60 or older, or with chronic health concerns, to avoid large crowds.
Granger said the Yum! Center won’t offer refunds for ticket holders who choose not to attend events, following a policy that’s in place when someone decides not to attend an event due to illness for example.
“We hope they’ll offer to give the tickets to someone else,” he said.
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