New York state has confirmed its first coronavirus case, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday night.
The patient, a woman in her late 30s, contracted the virus while traveling in Iran, the governor’s office said. The woman lives in Manhattan, according to a New York state official.
“This evening we learned of the first positive case of novel coronavirus — or COVID-19 — in New York State,” Cuomo said in the statement. “The patient, a woman in her late thirties, contracted the virus while traveling abroad in Iran, and is currently 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.”
The confirmed infection followed the news Sunday that a New York City couple is being tested for COVID-19, according to health officials. They had traveled to Iran, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced.
“There is no cause for surprise — this was expected,” Cuomo said in the statement. “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.”
There are 76 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. On Saturday, a Washington state man in his 50s was the first person to die from coronavirus in the U.S. Another Washington state resident — a man in his 70s with underlying health conditions — became the second to succumb, officials said Sunday.
There are no confirmed cases in New Jersey. On Saturday, a patient at Bayshore Community Medical Center in Holmdel tested negative for the virus.
COVID-19 has infected about 87,000 people worldwide and killed nearly 3,000.
The New York woman’s positive test was confirmed by Wadsworth Lab in Albany, the statement said. New York officials “have already identified close contacts" of the patient, NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said in a statement.
“There is no reason for undue anxiety — the general risk remains low in New York," Cuomo said in the statement. "We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available.”
Rhode Island also confirmed its first case Sunday, the same day that researchers said the virus may have been circulating in Washington state for weeks undetected. The state is the home of the nation’s first confirmed infection. It has seen eight confirmed cases.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.