Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf confirmed the state’s first death from COVID-19 in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The death was a patient from Northampton County. He declined to release details to respect the privacy of the family.

Wolf repeatedly urged people to stay home.

“In just over two weeks, more than 130 cases have been diagnosed and it’s increasing at an exponential pace,” Wolf said. “The characteristics are difficult to control. The virus spreads by contact and lives on surfaces lengthy periods of time.”

He added, “With knowledge of how quickly it spreads, I ask all Pennsylvanians to stay home.”

“Every day that goes by that people continue to interact is a day that the virus continues to unknowingly affect more and more people. Today’s is just first death of what will become many. Our only hope is to keep our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed so our medical professionals can do the most we can.”

“We need to work together if we want to save lives,” he said.