RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – At least eight people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Virginia. That’s according to announcements Tuesday from state health officials.

The latest cases confirmed by the state Department of Health were one resident of Loudoun County in northern Virginia and two residents of Virginia Beach.

Most people don’t suffer much from COVID-19, but it can cause severe illness in the elderly and people with existing health problems.

Vast areas of U.S. life are being impacted by the spreading coronavirus outbreak, from bans on large public gatherings to empty stadiums at sports games.

Lawmakers and health officials are trying to limit contact with those who are infected. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to announce a ban on large events – including sports – in virtually the entire Seattle metro area.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says schools and other gathering places will be shut down for two weeks in a containment zone in New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City. The area accounts for the majority of the state’s 173 coronavirus cases.