New York State Announces First Confirmed Coronavirus Case

The state of New York on Sunday confirmed its first positive case of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus that’s infected almost 90,000 people across the globe.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said in a statement that the patient — a woman in her 30s — had contracted the disease while traveling abroad in Iran. Citing a state official, The New York Times said the woman is in Manhattan.

“The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving” in New York, Cuomo said.

The governor urged New Yorkers to remain calm, saying there was “no reason for undue anxiety” and that the risk posed by the virus “remains low” in the state. 

At least 76 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S. to date. Two people in Washington state have died of the disease, including a man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions, state officials said Sunday.

Also on Sunday, Rhode Island announced its first likely case of the illness. The patient a man in his 40s had traveled to Italy, France and Spain in mid-February, officials said.