NYC’s First Case of COVID-19 Is Woman Who Visited Iran
New York Gov. Cuomo confirmed the state's first positive case Sunday evening
A person in New York City has tested positive for COVID-19, more commonly known as the novel coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said late Sunday.
The case is the first confirmed case of the illness in New York state and city, according to Cuomo. "The patient, a woman in her late thirties, contracted the virus while traveling abroad in Iran, and is currently isolated in her home," he said.
State officials familiar with the case said the woman lives in Manhattan and people with close contact to the woman have already been identified by health officials.
"Our disease detectives have already identified close contacts of the patient, who may have been exposed, and will take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19," NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said in a statement.
The test was being evaluated at the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center in Albany, Cuomo confirmed.
"The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York," Cuomo said.
"Our health authorities have been in a state of high alert for weeks, and are fully prepared to respond. We will continue to ensure New Yorkers have the facts and resources they need to protect themselves," Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted.
The mayor and the governor on Monday morning will hold a joint news conference to address the first confirmed case of the virus. Later in the week, the New York City Council is scheduled to discuss the city's preparedness and response plan.
New York City's health officials announced Sunday morning two people were being tested for COVID-19, and both had recently traveled to the city from Iran. Both tests were being evaluated at the Wadsworth Center in Albany, the New York State Department of Health's spokesperson said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday also announced that New York State would begin doing its own testing for COVID-19, noting this would "expedite wait time and improve NY's ability to more effectively manage the coronavirus situation as it unfolds."
Symptoms are likely to appear as soon as two days after exposure, or up to two weeks later, according to the CDC.
Barbot previously said that due to the federal government expanding its criteria for virus testing to include Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea, more people are expected to be tested.
"Viruses don’t respect borders and this broader definition will help us cast a wider net to detect the virus. We expect the number of cases under investigation to grow," Barbot said.
New York City's Bellevue Hospital is one of several local medical centers that are preparing for a possible outbreak. It is home to 1,200 beds that could be readily available in case the virus becomes widespread, according to Mayor de Blasio.
There have been more than 88,000 cases of the new virus worldwide, with at least 3,000 deaths reported around the globe. The number of countries hit by the virus has climbed past 60.
Washington state saw the first COVID-19 death in the United States, officials said on Feb. 29.
The same day that death was announced, President Donald Trump approved new restrictions on international travel to prevent the spread within the U.S. of the new virus, which originated in China.
The travel restrictions applied to Iran — although travel there by Americans was already severely limited — as well as heavily affected regions of Italy and South Korea.
Around the world, many cases of the virus have been relatively mild, and some of those infected apparently show no symptoms at all.
Confirmed Coronavirus Cases
Source: NBC News, staff reports
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