Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s office has confirmed three positive test results of the new coronavirus in the state. Hogan said a trio of Montgomery County residents contracted the disease while traveling overseas.

The positive test results for COVID-19 — the disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus — are the first reported in the Washington region. The cases were confirmed at the state’s Public Health Laboratory in Baltimore on Thursday.

Hogan declared a state of emergency in response to news of the coronavirus cases. The declaration will allow the state’s health department and emergency management agency to better coordinate with local health agencies across Maryland, he said.

“We have been actively preparing for this situation over the last several weeks across all levels of government,” Hogan said in a statement. “I encourage all Marylanders not to panic, but to take this seriously and to stay informed as we continue to provide updates.”

Fran Phillips, deputy secretary of the state’s health department, said the three returned to Montgomery County from overseas travel on Feb. 20. She would not reveal where they had traveled, but said the trio included a couple — a man and woman in their 70s — and a woman in her 50s who were on a trip together.

After their trip, the state was informed on March 3 that the three were potentially exposed to COVID-19, Phillips said. The travelers voluntarily brought themselves to a hospital for testing the next day, she added, but did not identify the hospital.

Phillips said the three are now self-quarantining at their homes. Maryland officials say they’re in the process of tracing all of the contacts three Montgomery County residents have had over the past two weeks

Dr. Travis Gayles, Montgomery County’s health officer and chief of public health services, emphasized at a Friday press conference that the cases are related to travel and not instances of community-transmission. He also confirmed that the cruise was not associated with the Port of Baltimore and that three county residents had “very limited interaction” with school-aged children.

He declined to say where in Montgomery County the three live or what health care facilities they visited, citing privacy concerns. To the best of his knowledge, he said, the three had not traveled to D.C. or Virginia.

Maryland’s health department has so far tested 41 potential coronavirus cases, 12 of which are pending; 26 tests came back negative. No cases have been confirmed in D.C. or Virginia; 10 tests are pending in Virginia, one is still pending in the District.

Lawmakers and officials in the region have been coordinating with health agencies for weeks in anticipation of the disease reaching the D.C. region.

News of the confirmed cases in Maryland came just one day after Hogan and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced measures to boost funding and resources in preparation for potential coronavirus outbreaks in their states.

Hogan on Wednesday requested $50 million from the state’s rainy day fund to help aid the state’s response to coronavirus — the General Assembly has fast-tracked the request, which will be considered by the full Senate on Friday. The governor has additionally sought $10 million in emergency expenses to prepare for the coronavirus as part of a supplemental budget. Part of those funds would go toward additional staffing, equipment to speed up diagnosis and providing resources for quarantined individuals.

In a tweet late Thursday, At-Large Montgomery County Council member Will Jawando urged residents to stay informed and contact their health providers if they have traveled internationally and have a fever, cough or shortness of breath.

And Hogan, speaking Thursday, said Marylanders should continue to go to work and school “just as they normally do.”

In an email sent to parents late Thursday, Montgomery County Public Schools said its schools will remain open. Officials said the district continues to follow guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services, but said MCPS is preparing for the possibility of school closures should they be deemed necessary. State officials said they do not believe the Montgomery County individuals diagnosed with coronavirus came into contact with MCPS students.

The school district issued guidance on Wednesday outlining the system’s plans to continue operations in the event of an outbreak. In a letter, MCPS said the district is meeting with principals this week to review schools’ emergency preparedness procedures. Should schools close, officials said MCPS is prepared to provide instructional activities through online access and in hard copy for all students pre-k through 12th grade.

Gayles said that all three patients are isolated and not exposed to the community and they have “responded well clinically.” He added that their symptoms have largely abated. Older patients are generally more susceptible to a severe form of the illness. Gayles said the cases here suggests the coronavirus detected locally remains at a “mild-to-moderate” level of severity.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.