Can you play Simcity offline?

I know EA has come out and said that Simcity will have features that ultimately requiring that you must have an internet connection all the time while playing.

I know the game is less than a few days away, but is there a secret setting that would allow you to play offline with limited features?

I really want to get it, but this is a really holding me back from buying it.

You will need an Origin account and be online in order to start the game. Once playing, you will be able to disconnect from the internet and continue playing in offline mode.

Source

Edit:

Unfortunately, you won't be able to play for long periods of time in this way. This Digital Trends Article says:

Maxis responded that players who lose their connection mid-game will be allowed “to play for as long as we can preserve your game state” a period that will “likely be minutes.”

So it appears that the answer is no, any offline play would only be possible to preserve your game during a temporary disconnect.

Yes, now you can!

SimCity Finally Gets Offline, Single-Player Mode

It took Electronic Arts and Maxis over a year to make it so, but starting now, you finally no longer need an Internet connection to play SimCity.

Source

SimCity Offline Play Now Available for PC and Mac, New Details Inside

Single-Player Mode for SimCity that enables Offline Play. Starting today Offline Play is available for all PC and Mac SimCity players worldwide.

Players who choose to play Single-Player Mode will not have access to Online-only features such as Multiplayer, SimCity World, Leaderboards, Achievements, dynamic pricing of resources in the Global Market and Cloud Saves. I also want to point out that saved Regions cannot be transferred between Modes. This means that if you play a Region in Single-Player Mode, you will not be able to play it in Multiplayer. We want to keep the competitive aspects of the Online game intact.

Source

Play SimCity Offline! Gameplay Tutorial

PS: As Coronus said in his answer. About you playing an online game and going offline (usually by internet issues)

Unfortunately, you won't be able to play for long periods of time in this way. This Digital Trends Article says:

"Maxis responded that players who lose their connection mid-game will be allowed “to play for as long as we can preserve your game state” a period that will “likely be minutes."