St. Clair County Health Department has announced it is working on Preparedness and Response Planning for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus. The department reports to be “diligently working on preparedness and response planning against the Coronavirus and is carefully monitoring the situation at a local level.” The Health Department is assuring the public that officials have been communicating with “partners such as border officials, Canadian counterparts, healthcare providers, emergency management, as well as frequent meetings and calls with other state and national officials.” At this time, Michigan, including St. Clair County, has no reported cases. At the end of January, the CDC reported six confirmed cases nationwide, with the immediate health risk to the American public low. According to the St. Clair County Health Department information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. To prevent the spread of viruses such as the flu, common cold and coronavirus, there are some measures you can take to help protect yourself: Wash your hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing Avoid contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, stay home; avoid contact with others