Coronavirus: CDC calls new California case 'possible instance of community-spread'

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- A new case of the coronavirus has been detected in Northern California in a resident who has not traveled overseas since the outbreak began.

This suggests the virus could be spreading in a local area, the CDC said.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed an infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 in California in a person who reportedly did not have relevant travel history or exposure to another known patient with COVID-19," the CDC said in a press release.

It is unknown how the patient contracted the virus. If it was contracted in the United States, it would be the country's first case of it spreading here, as opposed to being exposed overseas.

"At this time, the patient's exposure is unknown. It's possible this could be an instance of community spread of COVID-19, which would be the first time this has happened in the United States. Community spread means spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown. It's also possible, however, that the patient may have been exposed to a returned traveler who was infected," the CDC explained in their statement.

The case was caught by the public health system in Northern California.

The CDC says the federal government is working with the state of California to "contain the spread and mitigate the impact of this virus."