NYC Officials Deny Report Of Coronavirus Amid Confusion

Topline: Despite a news report of a potential first case of coronavirus in New York City that temporarily sparked panic and confusion on social media Friday, city health officials vehemently denied the report, saying that there are still no confirmed or suspected cases of the virus in the city.

• The Daily News first reported that eight NYPD precincts in Queens were warned early on Friday morning to be careful over “one confirmed case” of coronavirus at Elmhurst Hospital.
• But the New York City Department of Health quickly denied the report, saying that there were no confirmed cases anywhere in the city’s five boroughs.
• NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot tweeted in response, “THIS IS NOT ACCURATE. There are still ZERO confirmed cases of novel coronavirus in NYC.”
• “There are no confirmed or suspected cases in NYC,” NYC Department of Health spokesman Michael Lanza told Forbes.
• “As of now, there have been no suspected cases sent to CDC from NYC for further testing,” confirmed another NYC health department spokesman, Patrick Gallahue. “Thus, no confirmed cases either. Report was wrong,” he told Forbes.
• “There is no coronavirus at Elmhurst Hospital,” added Christopher Miller, spokesman for NYC Health + Hospitals.

Crucial statistics: As of Friday, the deadly coronavirus has now infected nearly 10,000 people and killed at least 213, according to Chinese authorities. Originating in Wuhan, China, the fast-spreading illness has now reached more than 21 different countries. There are a total of five confirmed cases in the U.S., which issued its highest travel alert possible for China on Thursday night—advising Americans to avoid all “nonessential” travel to the country. Numerous airlines have suspended travel as well, and a host of countries, including the U.S., have also evacuated citizens from China and placed them under quarantine.

Big number: New York has the largest Chinese population of any city outside of Asia, The New York Times reports.
Key background: The World Health Organization (WHO) in a press conference on Thursday said that it is declaring coronavirus an international health emergency. “We don’t know what sort of damage coronavirus could do if it spreads to a country with a weaker health system,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We must act now.”
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/01/31/nyc-officials-deny-report-of-coronavirus-amid-confusion/#76bcefd2652c