4 New York Schools Close After Man Diagnosed With Coronavirus

Four New York schools, including two in the Lower Hudson Valley, closed after a Westchester County man tested positive for the potentially fatal strain of the coronavirus.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

Early Tuesday morning officials in Westchester County announced a man in his 50s tested positive for coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. The man marks the second New Yorker confirmed to have the virus which has killed around 3,000 worldwide, including nine in the United States as of Wednesday morning.

Stay Informed: CDC Website About Coronavirus

Gov. Cuomo says it's the first apparent case of person-to-person spread of coronavirus in the tri-state area. Officials reported the man didn't travel to China or any other hotspot for COVID-19. He did travel to Miami last month and takes Metro-North to commute to New York City where he works as an attorney.

NBC reports the man had underlying respiratory issues and remains hospitalized in serious condition at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.

Four New York schools closed as a precaution on Tuesday after the diagnosis was made public. The man's positive coronavirus test prompted officials to close Westchester Day School in Mamaroneck, Westchester Torah Academy in White Plains, the Salanter Akiba Riverdale (SAR) Academy and SAR High School in Riverdale, both in the Bronx, ABC reports.

According to NBC, the man's son attends Yeshiva University and is showing signs of the coronavirus. The New York City campus remains open.

Subscribe to the Hudson Valley Post’s Newsletter

According to Westchester County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler, the man attended services on Feb. 22, at Young Israel of New Rochelle. Officials told the temple to stop services immediately and for the foreseeable future due to potential COVID-19 exposure. Congregants who attended services at the temple on Feb. 22, and a funeral and a bat mitzvah the next day have been told to self-quarantine until at the very earliest March 8.

Those who do not self-quarantine will be mandated by the Westchester County Department of Health to do so, officials say. Over 600 have been told to self-quarantine, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports.

Spot a typo? Let us know.