UPDATE | Three coronavirus cases confirmed in Ohio

COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday announced three Ohioans have tested positive for COVID-19, known as coronavirus.

According to DeWine's official Twitter account, those infected are in Cuyahoga County.

The governor's office suspended "all travel that is not absolutely necessary" and declared a state of emergency in Ohio, which grants special powers to respond to the outbreak.

"The state of emergency that I've declared in #Ohio is a legal necessity that allows state departments and agencies to better coordinate in their response," DeWine said in a tweet.

Closer to home, Ryan Tekac, Mahoning County health commissioner, said county residents who experience any sort of illness should distance themselves from those identified by health officials to be the most at-risk for contracting the virus: the elderly; severely overweight; and the immuno-compromised.

"We don't want the public to fear this. We potentially want to try to slow this up," he said. "Social distancing — that's how we can potentially slow this COVID-19 or any other influenza or cold in the area."

Here is a collection of Mahoning Matters stories on the outbreak.

Keep up-to-date on the national scope of the coronavirus outbreak by going here.

— Some reporting courtesy of Center Square Ohio

This story was originally published March 9, 2020 at 3:45 PM with the headline "UPDATE | Three coronavirus cases confirmed in Ohio."