New Jersey Officials Announce First Presumptive Positive Coronavirus Case In State
WEST TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey officials announced the first presumptive positive case of coronavirus in the state on Wednesday night. Officials say a man in his 30s is presumed to have coronavirus and has been hospitalized in Bergen County since Tuesday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still has to confirm the diagnosis.
"My Administration is working aggressively to keep residents safe and contain the spread of COVID-19 in New Jersey," Gov. Phil Murphy said. "We take this situation very seriously and have been preparing for this for weeks. I urge residents to remain calm and use resources from the New Jersey Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control to prepare and prevent the spread of infection. Safeguarding the public's health is one of my highest priorities and my Administration is prepared to respond swiftly to any additional positive cases of COVID-19 here in New Jersey."
New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli says the risk remains low for other New Jerseyans.
"Any case of novel coronavirus in our state is concerning, however, most New Jersey residents are at very low risk of contracting COVID-19," Persichilli said. "The Department is working closely with the CDC and local health officials to respond to this case and is monitoring the evolving situation across the nation."
It's the first presumed positive case of coronavirus in the region.
The virus has killed 11 people in the United States so far.
