11 Cases Of Coronavirus In New York

WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — Five more people tested positive in Westchester County for the new coronavirus, officials said Wednesday. That brings the total number of COVID-19 cases in New York to 11, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who spoke at a news conference in Albany Wednesday afternoon.

The latest confirmed cases involve a friend of a 50-year-old New Rochelle man who was diagnosed Tuesday with the virus. Cuomo said the friend is also a man who lives in New Rochelle. He and his wife, two sons and a daughter also tested positive for the new coronavirus. There is another daughter in the family but she tested negative for the virus. The family is isolated in their home, officials said.

The children attend Westchester Torah Academy, which closed earlier this week.

Cuomo said the 50-year-old New Rochelle man is the only person hospitalized with the virus because he had an underlying respiratory illness. He is in stable condition in intensive care and is said to be improving, according to state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Cuomo announced that the wife, son and daughter of the 50-year-old New Rochelle man who was the second confirmed case of the new coronavirus tested positive for the disease. He also said the man's neighbor, who drove him to the hospital in Bronxville, also tested positive.

The first diagnosed case of the new coronavirus was a 34-year-old New York City health care worker who traveled to Iran. She is recovering at home.

Earlier Wednesday, it was announced that students at SUNY and CUNY schools who are studying abroad in China, Iran, Italy, Japan or South Korea — where coronavirus outbreaks are most widespread — will be brought back to New York. State officials said the students will be quarantined for 14 days.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said current symptoms reported for people with COVID-19 include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing. The virus is spreading from person to person, and someone sickened with the virus can spread the illness to others, medical officials said.

There is no vaccine to prevent the new coronavirus. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to the virus, though the CDC recommends preventive actions to help avoid spreading respiratory diseases, such as:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
• Stay home if sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue away
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using regular household cleaning spray or wipes

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