With worries growing about the new coronavirus in the U.S., state officials are ramping up efforts to prepare for a possible outbreak while simultaneously trying to assure the public that they are well-positioned to handle it.

Governors and legislators in several states have proposed pumping millions of dollars into programs to combat the virus that causes the COVID-19 illness. State health officials are checking on stockpiles of supplies such as face masks and respirators and arranging potential isolation sites for sick patients.

Many states also are pursuing federal approval to conduct tests for the virus at their own labs, which could confirm cases more rapidly than waiting on results from federal labs.

Governors in several states — including the three most populated, California, Texas and Florida — held news conferences Thursday to address concerns about the coronavirus. State officials are walking a fine line between not stirring unnecessary anxieties while still keeping the public informed.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for example, pledged to notify the public if anyone tested positive for the new virus in his state. But the state’s surgeon general declined to confirm if any suspected cases had been investigated. He and the governor cited state laws for withholding any statistical information.

That didn’t sit well with some other elected officials. Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, who represents the Orlando area, called for more transparency.

“As a top tourist destination and home to many vulnerable seniors, Florida is uniquely at risk from the threat of this illness,” she said after the governor’s news conference.

Top health officials from many states met this week in Washington with officials from President Donald Trump’s administration. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned public institutions, businesses and individuals to get ready for the disease, Trump has said there is no need to panic and that the U.S. is “very, very ready” to handle any outbreak.

The virus causes fever and coughing and, in serious cases, shortness of breath or pneumonia. Some symptoms are similar to influenza, which the CDC says has sickened tens of millions of U.S. residents and led to thousands of deaths since last fall.