Health officials on Long Island are urging residents to be prepared as new cases of the coronavirus continue to emerge.

Hofstra University professor Dr. Anthony Santella says everyone must be prepared and expect to be inconvenienced.

"We are going to be inconvenienced probably for the rest of March and probably most of April," says Santella. "At the end of the day, our health and well-being is more important than the basketball game, the Starbucks coffee, the movie theater, or the trip to Italy that you have always wanted to go to."

Coronavirus Prevention: What you can do to protect yourself

As a result of the outbreak, Starbucks has implemented a policy where customers can't bring their own mug in for a refill. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Twitter have already encouraged their employees to work from home.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre has banned contact during the sign of peace, drinking from the chalice and using holy water.

GET INFORMATION: Coronavirus details from the CDC

Officials say Long Islanders should also be prepared for school closings.