NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY — The Peninsula Health District has announced its first two positive cases of coronavirus, COVID-19.

The announcement came Thursday afternoon.

The Virginia Department of Health has a breakdown of where the cases are on its website. There are two in Williamsburg, which is in the Peninsula district.

The other two cases in eastern Virginia are in Virginia Beach.

The local department of health is working on surveillance of the outbreak and is investigating potential cases.

“Given the nature of the current outbreak, discovering COVID-19 in our community does not come as a surprise and we expect to see more cases in the coming weeks. Fortunately, at this time we have not seen community-wide spread of the virus,” said Peninsula Health District Director Dr. Thomas Franck.

The health department will continue to keep people informed.

Most COVID-19 patients have mild to moderate symptoms, but some are more affected with severe symptoms. Coronavirus has caused death in some countries, including the United States. There have not been any deaths in Virginia from COVID-19 as of 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

• Stay home when you are sick.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Earlier Thursday, Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency as the number of confirmed cases in Virginia rose to 17.