New York's 2nd coronavirus case — a 50-year-old male attorney — works at a law firm near Grand Central Terminal. Here's what we've learned about the patient.
New York's second coronavirus case is a 50-year-old resident of Westchester County and a partner at a law firm near Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan.
Business Insider confirmed the identity of the patient, a married father of four with a child who attends SAR Academy High School, a private Jewish school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. SAR closed both its elementary school and its high school on Tuesday.
This is the first apparent case of community spread of coronavirus in New York — the man didn't travel to China or knowingly interact with anyone who was infected.
New York has reported two cases of the virus so far, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday the state's testing capacity was still limited to "a couple of hundred tests per day."
For the latest case total, death toll, and travel information, see Business Insider's live updates here.
The latest coronavirus case in New York City is a 50-year-old lawyer who resides in Westchester County, about 20 miles north of New York City, and is a partner at a firm based in midtown Manhattan, multiple sources confirmed to Business Insider. The office building is in the vicinity of Grand Central Terminal, which sees about 750,000 daily commuters.
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The man's firm represents clients throughout New York City and its surrounding areas. The man had recently returned to New York from a trip to Miami before he was diagnosed. This is the first apparent case of community spread of the coronavirus in New York. The man had not traveled to China and didn't knowingly interact with anyone who was infected with the coronavirus.
Representatives from the man's law firm declined to comment.
A man who resides in Westchester and works in Manhattan was diagnosed with coronavirus
The man lives in New Rochelle, a city in Westchester County, and commutes daily into Manhattan, sources said. In a Tuesday press conference, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he wasn't sure which method of transportation the man took to work.
One of the most common methods of transit from New Rochelle to Manhattan is the Metro-North Railroad, which passes through Grand Central Terminal.
The patient was originally admitted to Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York, then transferred to a New York City hospital, Cuomo said during the press conference. He is in serious condition and has preexisting respiratory problems.
The man's temple in New Rochelle, Temple Young Israel, has been ordered to suspend services until further notice, the local ABC news station reported. Congregants who attended services there on February 22 or a funeral or bat mitzvah there on February 23 have been told to self-quarantine until at least March 8.
The case has prompted 3 school closures in the Bronx and Westchester
The man is a married father of four. Two of his children who have exhibited symptoms are in isolation at home, as is the standard protocol, Gloria Pazmino, a NY1 reporter, wrote on Twitter.
One of the children in isolation is a male undergraduate student at Yeshiva University. The university sent a letter to the Yeshiva community on Tuesday saying it was "disinfecting all relevant common areas" and would continue to operate classes as usual. The student had not been seen on campus since February 27, the letter said.
Another one of the man's children, who is also under quarantined at home, attends SAR Academy High School, a private Jewish school in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. SAR sent out a message on Tuesday morning notifying parents of the coronavirus case and announcing that the school had decided to close both its elementary school and its high school as a "precautionary measure." The two schools are on separate campuses in Riverdale.
In a note to parents, an official at the SAR Academy elementary school said the school was coordinating with the New York state and New York City health departments.
"We are following their instructions and recommendations," the official said in the email to parents.
The school added that it would continue to keep parents updated. As of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, parents hadn't received any other information.
Two other private Jewish schools in Westchester — Westchester Torah Academy in White Plains and Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck — closed school on Tuesday. Westchester Torah Academy notified parents of the closure via email and WhatsApp on Tuesday morning after a number of children in the community had already been picked up by the buses for school.
"We will be turning the buses around and sending your children back home," school officials wrote in a letter to parents.
Following news of the diagnosis, members of the Jewish community in Westchester put out calls on social media for people to pray for the man's recovery.
The US has more than 115 cases of the coronavirus across 16 states
The US has reported more than 115 cases of the virus across 16 states so far, though in two of those states — Nebraska and Texas — the infections are among repatriated citizens only. New York's first case was a Manhattan woman who had recently traveled to Iran.
On Tuesday, Cuomo said the continued spread of the virus in New York was "inevitable."
"Most people who get infected won't even know they have it," he said.
A day earlier, Cuomo said the state health department was partnering with local hospitals to expand testing capacity for the virus. Their goal is to conduct 1,000 test per day, he said — but the current capacity is still limited. The federal government only recently approved New York to test for the virus on Saturday.
"We're at a couple of hundred tests per day, so you prioritize who can be tested," Cuomo said on Tuesday. "You don't have the capacity to test everybody 'just in case.'"
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