New York’s Second Coronavirus Case Is Manhattan Attorney—Here’s What You Need To Know

Carlie Porterfield Contributor Mar 3, 2020, 11:31am

The Topline: The Tuesday morning announcement of New York State’s second confirmed case of coronavirus may be the first known example of community transmission on the East Coast, suggesting the virus is spreading to people with no direct connection to hot spots for the disease.

·         The patient is a man in his fifties who lives in New Rochelle, New York—a suburb about 20 miles from midtown Manhattan—but commutes into Manhattan to work as an attorney, according to NBC New York. 

·         He had no direct link to any places identified as a hot spot for the coronavirus, such as China, but had recently traveled to Miami; he also has an underlying respiratory illness, according to the report.

·         At least two Jewish schools in the New York City area have closed down as of Tuesday: the SAR Academy and SAR High School in the Bronx, where one of the children of the man diagnosed with coronavirus goes to school, and Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, New York. 

·         While a child of the man diagnosed with coronavirus does not attend Westchester Day School, a rep told The New York Times that the school decided to play it safe and close their doors when they discovered a member of their feeder school community may have contracted the disease. 

·         New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have both tried to reassure the public that they are handling the outbreak: de Blasio said 1.5 million masks have been distributed to healthcare workers—though he said 300,000 more are needed—and 1,200 hospital beds are available, while Cuomo said the state would take extra measures to clean and disinfect subways and buses.  

·         Cuomo also announced Monday that New York health insurers would not be allowed to charge patients any fees for coronavirus testing, and Medicaid patients would not have to pay a co-pay for testing.

Key background: It’s the second confirmed case of corona virus in the New York City Area; the first case was a Manhattan woman who had recently traveled to Iran, a hotspot for the virus. 

On Monday, New York’s legislature approved $40 million in emergency funding to hire additional staff and procure equipment and other resources.

In the U.S., more than 100 patients in 15 states are reportedly being treated for coronavirus. Six people have died.

What to watch for: Additional cleaning protocols will be enacted at New York City schools and subways, Cuomo said Monday. “When you get on a bus or when a child goes to school, it’s not bad cologne or perfume [you smell],” Cuomo said. “It is bleach.”

Cuomo also wants the city to run 1,000 coronavirus tests a day in a bid to isolate patients and keep the virus under control. 

Additional reporting contributed by Lisette Voytko.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/03/03/new-yorks-second-coronavirus-case-is-manhattan-attorney-heres-what-you-need-to-know/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-dozen&cdlcid=5d1670731802c8c524c78889#472096c1717d