OTHELLO - Two more cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in Othello, bringing the total cases in that city and Adams County to five, according to the Adams County Health Department.

These cases are not believed to be linked to the first case reported earlier in the month or the two cases reported yesterday and it is unclear where they got the virus, a sign of community spread, the health department wrote in a statement.

The first patient reported is no longer contagious and has been released from isolation, though they are still recovering at home, health department Public Information Officer Karen Potts said Friday.

Of the four more recently confirmed cases, one has been hospitalized since yesterday afternoon, according to health officials. The rest are in self-isolation and are being monitored by health department staff.

The health department will be communicating with those it identifies as having come into close contact in the last 14 days with any of the people known to have been sickened by the virus. The people will be asked to stay home and self-quarantine for two weeks.

Close contact is defined as having been within six feet of a person sickened by the virus for a prolonged time or making direct contact with them, according to the health department.

The health department expects that many more cases will be confirmed in the near future, both as the virus spreads and as tests become more readily available. Surveillance of the virus’ spread has previously been hampered be insufficient testing supplies and slow turnaround times for results, Potts said in an interview earlier this week.