NEW YORK (AP) – New York leaders sought to calm jittery nerves Monday after the city recorded its first confirmed case of the new coronavirus, saying the disease – while dangerous – is a manageable threat.
The state is increasing its testing capacity and telling people to expect the smell of bleach from cleaning in public areas, including subways, all while underscoring that the diagnosed woman’s symptoms are so mild that she can recover at home, not in a hospital.
“In this situation, the facts defeat fear. Because the reality is reassuring. It is deep-breath time,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
The 39-year-old health care worker who tested positive wasn’t believed to have been contagious when she returned Tuesday from a trip to Iran, a new seat of the outbreak, Cuomo said at a news conference with health officials and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The woman took a car service from the airport to her home in Manhattan and secluded herself immediately, officials said. Still, officials will contact people who were on her flight and the driver who brought her home, Cuomo said.