SANDPOINT — As officials await information on Gov. Brad Little’s statewide response plan for the coronovirus outbreak, the city is urging residents to adopt Centers for Disease Control & Prevention safeguards for warding off the virus.

“As the number of cases worldwide continue to grow, it is important for everyone to take necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our loved ones from possible infection. Fortunately, from what we know today about the virus, it is containable and can be avoided with simple steps everyone can take,” Mayor Shelby Rognstad in news release that was distributed on Monday.

The city notes that novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a close relative of the common flu with symptoms and communicability. It is only life-threatening to those with compromised or weakened immune systems, according to the city.

The virus inflects the lungs and can only be transmitted through droplets by sneezing or coughing. The virus can last up to a week on average on surfaces that have been infected, the city said.

Although there is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the CDC said there are preventative measures people can utilize to help prevent the spread of the disease. They include:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.

• CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is scheduled to update its novel coronavirus web page today. The department on Friday said 32 people in Idaho have been monitored and two people have been tested.

“Right now we have no cases in Idaho,” Health & Welfare spokeswoman Niki Forbing-Orr said on Monday.

Forbing-Orr acknowledged that there is a lot of fear and worry about COVID-19, but emphasized that most people who contract the illness — thought to be around 80 percent — will have a mild illness.

“There is a much smaller group of people — mostly those who are older, or who might be medically fragile — or they have underlying health conditions that may have more severe illness,” she said.

However, there is a chance the disease is already in the Panhandle.

“It’s a possibility that it could be in your community,” Forbing-Orr said.

Forbing-Orr recommends the public practice respiratory etiquette.

“The important thing is to just be aware. People should really doing their part to make sure they’re aware, make sure they’re taking those precautions,” she said.

Little is slated to host a press conference regarding the coronavirus today. Representatives from the Health & Welfare and the Idaho Office of Emergency Management will also be on hand.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.