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Coronavirus updates: Here’s the latest in North Carolina

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We’re tracking the latest news related to the coronavirus in North Carolina, after state officials announced Friday a second North Carolina resident tested positive for the illness.

Second case confirmed

A Chatham County man tested positive for COVID-19, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said Friday. He had traveled to Italy last month, according to officials.

UNC travel limited

Due to the coronavirus, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced Thursday it was restricting travel to places within the United States that have “declared states of emergency.”

The school said it also will ask people coming back from countries with travel advisories to go into quarantine away from campus.

Patient dined at Raleigh restaurant

The patient went to so.ca in Cameron Village on Saturday, Feb. 29, according to the restaurant’s owner, who said the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services notified the eatery Wednesday morning.

Owner Sean Degnan confirmed told The News & Observer the restaurant was sanitized Wednesday. Diners who might have been in contact with the patient have been notified, he said.

Patient’s contacts monitored

Health officials have asked some people in Wake County and elsewhere in North Carolina to “self-quarantine” after being within 6 feet of the patient for at least 10 minutes after he started to have symptoms.

Family members within the patient’s household have been quarantined, Wake County health officials said Wednesday.

School trips canceled

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools announced Wednesday that it is canceling district-sponsored overseas field trips due to concerns about the coronavirus.

The school system also discouraged people from going on private trips.

Festival postponed

The 2020 International Festival announced Wednesday it will not host the 34th annual event this weekend because of the coronavirus.

The event was scheduled to take place at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.

Patient tested Tuesday

The Wake County man infected with the coronavirus got tested for the illness on Tuesday, the same day state officials publicly announced the case, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, told WRAL.

The man was exposed to COVID-19 while visiting a nursing home in Washington state that has experienced an outbreak. He traveled to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Feb. 22, The News & Observer reported.

After hearing about the outbreak at the facility and realizing he had symptoms, he notified a doctor and got a nasal swab test on Tuesday, Cohen told WRAL.

Looking for regular updates on the Coronavirus in NC and across the nation? Sign up for our daily newsletter at newsobserver.com/coronavirusnews to get a daily email summary.

Do you have questions about the coronavirus? The News & Observer will get the answers for you. Go to bit.ly/virusnc and let us know what you need to know.

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This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 1:09 PM.

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Simone Jasper
The News & Observer
Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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