Update, 6:50 a.m., Jan. 27: Officials said Sunday that testing on the patient revealed that they do not have coronavirus.
Centura-St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood is working with state health officials on the next steps for someone who may have coronavirus.
Gianna Lisac, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said the staff received a patient on Friday with a respiratory illness who had a history of travel from Wuhan, China. The patient has been placed in an isolation unit and is using a mask as a “precautionary measure.”
Test results will not be available for several days. Lisac said the health risk to the general public is low, though she didn’t know exactly what symptoms the patient had.
On Saturday morning, Sen. Michael Bennet tweeted that his office was monitoring the situation.
“The (CDC’s) new report on the coronavirus is very concerning and we must ensure our federal and state agencies are prepared and have the resources needed to address this potential threat to our public health,” the tweet read.
Denver’s Chinese School canceled its Lunar New Year celebration for Saturday. In an announcement on their site, they cited the rising risk of infection.
"This has been an extremely difficult decision as hundreds of performers and volunteers have been working diligently in the past few months for this event. But the health and safety of our beloved guests, attendees, and crew has the highest priority to us."
The New York Times reports that more than 1,300 cases have been reported in China. At least 40 people have died from the virus and the country has restricted travel. Other cases have been reported in France and Australia.
The U.S. government is working to evacuate Americans out of Wuhan, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday morning.
CPR's Chuck Murphy contributed to this reporting.
