1st Coronavirus Death In Pennsylvania

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, PA — Pennsylvania has reported its first death from the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

The governor's office on Wednesday confirmed an adult from Northampton County has died from the virus.

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The person was being treated at a hospital. The person's age and gender was not released. No additional information will be released about the patient; The Disease Control and Prevention Act protects the right to confidentiality.

As of Wednesday, there are 133 cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania.

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Health officials in Pennsylvania are imploring residents to stay home to mitigate the spread of the virus. All non-essential businesses have been closed. Schools have been closed, and the governor is asking employees of most businesses to work remotely.

The U.S. death toll from the virus passed 115 as of Wednesday morning, according to Johns Hopkins University, with more than 7,300 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus.

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will invoke the Defense Production Act "in case we need it," in a move that would free up the government to help the private sector ramp up production of emergency medical supplies.

In addition, the border between the United States and Canada will temporarily close to nonessential traffic, Trump tweeted Wednesday. The call to close the border was a mutual decision by both countries, Trump said.