Mar 1,Mar 5 NYT
“Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday confirmed New York State’s first case of the coronavirus, saying that a woman contracted the virus while traveling in Iran and is now in New York City isolated in her home.
“The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement.
The 39-year-old-woman is in Manhattan, according to state officials. She returned from Iran last week, and was tested after going to a hospital in the city; she has since been staying at home, officials said.
Early on Monday, the governor said the woman was a “unique case.” Appearing on CBS This Morning, he said she was a health care worker so “she knew to take precautions and stay in a controlled situation.” He added that she had not ridden public transportation since returning to New York.
Later, on CNN, he said he anticipated that “there will be community spread” but that “there’s no reason for concern.”
The sample submitted for testing was analyzed on Sunday in the Wadsworth Lab in Albany, N.Y. Those results will now be reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
New York City’s Health Commissioner, Oxiris Barbot, said the agency had already identified “close contacts of the patient” who may have been exposed to the virus, officially known as Covid-19.
“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,” Dr. Barbot said. “Despite this development, New Yorkers remain at low risk for contracting Covid-19.”
Still the news that the coronavirus had landed in Manhattan was sure to raise the level of anxiety across this dense city, where people spend their days in close quarters. For weeks, the city has been bracing for the virus’s arrival, as it spread across much of the world....”