BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO) – The North Dakota Department of Health has confirmed the state’s first known case of coronavirus.
Governor Doug Burgum announced Wednesday night that a Ward County man in his 60’s has not been hospitalized and is self-isolating and recovering at home. Prior to getting ill, the man who tested positive for Covid-19 had traveled out of state where he had contact with a person who has since tested positive for the disease.
As state health officials wait for confirmation testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, team members are working to identify people who may have been in close contact with the Ward County man in order to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.
The health department has tested 27 people for COVID-19. Twelve tests came back negative, and results for 14 tests are still pending.
North Dakota is now one of more than 40 states with confirmed cases of coronavirus.
Governor Burgum and state health officials will hold a press conference Thursday morning in Bismarck to explain the state’s response to coronavirus.