Cuomo: 1st case of coronavirus confirmed in New York state

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York's first case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed.

News 12 Staff

Mar 2, 2020, 12:57 AM

Updated 1,743 days ago

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York's first case of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed.
The patient is a woman in her late-30s who got the virus when traveling in Iran. In a release issued Sunday evening, Cuomo said she is currently isolated in her home with respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition.
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It said she has "been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York."
The New York State Department of Health tells News 12 the woman is from Manhattan.

"There is no cause for surprise -- this was expected. As I said from the beginning, it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York," Cuomo said in the statement.
As News 12 has reported, the viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 87,000 people globally and caused at least 3,000 deaths. The U.S. has seen dozens of cases so far, and one death that was reported Saturday in Washington state.
The number of countries hit by the coronavirus climbed past 60 Sunday, and infections and deaths continued to mount around the globe, shaking economies. Concerns about the virus sent stocks sharply lower on Wall Street last week.
Cuomo's statement added, ""There is no reason for undue anxiety -- the general risk remains low in New York. We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available." 
City and state health officials have previously tested several New York patients who have reported symptoms consistent with the pneumonia-like virus, but until now each suspected case had proven to be a false alarm.

Under new travel rules imposed by the U.S., most people who aren't U.S. citizens and who traveled to China within the last 14 days will be denied entry to the country.

New York's Kennedy Airport is one of a select number of U.S. airports where non-stop flights from mainland China are permitted to land under federal emergency guidelines . All arriving passengers on those flights undergo enhanced health screening.

Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.