Rancho Mirage votes to close library, observatory as part of coronavirus precautions

The city of Rancho Mirage held an emergency meeting Monday afternoon to discuss precautionary measures regarding coronavirus after the county's first case was confirmed at Eisenhower Health.

During the meeting, council members voted to close the public library and observatory through March 22. Staff will continue to work inside the building and will be available by phone or email.

City events like Music in the Park and the Rancho Mirage Speaker Series were also canceled in an effort to limit large gatherings.

City hall will remain open, however, officials urge placing a call ahead of time.

Saturday night, health officials confirmed a patient is being treated for coronavirus at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage. This marks the first positive case in Riverside County.

"The patient was not exposed to any other patient, they were brought immediately into an isolation room in the hospital," said Michael Connors, Infection Preventionist at Eisenhower Health.

The confirmed case prompted officials to declare a local public health emergency in the county.

Watch: Local public health emergency proclamation issued due to coronavirus case in Riverside County

Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County Public Health Officer, said he believes that patient's exposure to the community is low.

The proclamation led to the cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, an annual tennis tournament that attracted hundreds of thousands from all over the world. There have been no updates on if any other major events coming up will follow suit.

Watch: The 2020 BNP Paribas Open cancelled over coronavirus concerns

Health officials said anyone who thinks they might be experiencing symptoms of the virus should call the hospital hotline at 760-837-8988. 

Residents with further questions can call 2-1-1 and 800–CDC –INFO (800 – 232 – 4636) with any questions.