Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has signed an emergency disaster declaration to provide increased support to state agencies involved in the response to COVID-19, the latest strain of coronavirus.

Wolf announced the declaration March 6, just after the first two presumptive positive cases of COVID-19. Since then, 12 additional cases have been announced. That brings the total cases, as of press time March 11, to 14.

The counties affected include Delaware County, with one case; Wayne County, with one case; Montgomery County, with eight cases; Monroe County, with one case; Bucks County, with two presumptive cases; and Philadelphia County, with one case.

Symptoms and treatments vary for those affected, according to Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine, who added some traveled to a country or state with known community outbreaks or have been in contact with someone who has the virus.

“It’s imperative that we continue to respond quickly and accurately to the coronavirus and its introduction into Pennsylvania,” Wolf said. “First and foremost, we want all Pennsylvanians to be safe and remain healthy and follow the practical advice of the Department of Health on ways to protect yourself from any virus - and that’s by washing hands, covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough and staying home if you are sick.

“It is critical to prepare for and respond to suspected or confirmed cases in the commonwealth and to implement measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The disaster declaration is an additional way we can be prepared, so I authorized the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency director or his designee to assume command and control of all statewide emergency operations and authorize and direct that all commonwealth departments and agencies use all available resources and personnel as is deemed necessary to cope with this emergency situation,” Wolf added.

The disaster declaration follows the Department of Health’s activation of its Department Operations Center at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters to conduct public health and medical coordination for COVID-19 throughout the commonwealth.

To date, there are more than 116,000 cases worldwide, including more than 4,000 deaths. There are 808 cases and 28 deaths to date in the United States. The CDC expects cases to continue to be confirmed in the upcoming days and weeks but wants everyone to take action to help prevent the spread of the virus. CDC also said due to the rapidly changing nature of the spread of COVID-19 around the world, it is important for families to be prepared.

Symptoms of the COVID-19 can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Reported illnesses have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. Individuals most at risk for severe symptoms include elderly and those with pre-existing conditions.

Wolf urged residents to practice the following safety measures:

• 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.

• Cover any coughs or sneezes with their elbow, not their hands.

• Clean surfaces, such as countertops, light switches, cellphones and other often-touched areas, frequently.

• Contain - If someone is sick, they should stay home until they are feeling better.

“As this situation evolves, we will continually update Pennsylvanians through our website, health.pa.gov, our Facebook page and our Twitter account,” Levine said. “It’s important to remember that the most accurate and timely information regarding this outbreak is available through the Department of Health.”