New York Governor Andrew Cuomo revealed that community spread is 'inevitable' on Monday as New York City's first case of the coronavirus was confirmed in a female healthcare worker who lives in Manhattan. The woman, 39, had shown no symptoms of the virus when she arrived back in the city last Tuesday, February 25. She had not taken the public transportation system since her arrival to New York, which has a population of 19 million, and had taken necessary precautions on her return, Cuomo added. She is thought to have contracted the coronavirus in Iran and is now isolated in her Manhattan home with her spouse, who is also a healthcare worker. She has not been hospitalized. The first NYC coronavirus case was first confirmed on Sunday night as the number of cases nationwide reached at least 89, with two confirmed deaths in Washington. The couple had contacted Mount Sinai on their return to New York aware of the threat that they may have contracted the virus and were tested. 'The positive test was confirmed by New York's Wadsworth Lab in Albany, underscoring the importance of the ability for our state to ensure efficient and rapid turnaround,' Cuomo said on Sunday night. There are two other possible cases in the city still being tested. The woman's spouse is also being tested and Cuomo said that he is presumed to be positive with the disease. She is reported to have taken a private car from the airport to her home and the driver will be informed of her illness, as will the others on her flight. She is not thought to have been contagious and was not yet sneezing or coughing when she was in contact with the public. In a press conference on Monday morning, Cuomo appeared with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce that they aim to increase testing in the city to up to a thousand people a day by next week as the look to isolate cases in the 'inevitable' community spread that will hit the city. 'I fully expect to find community spread, you can’t have it in this many places around the globe and in this many places around the country and not be in New York so that is going to happen,' he told an interview with CNN. 'I believe it’s inevitable. We’ll be testing for it and we’ll find it and we’ll get to the containment phase. 'We expect to find people who test positive and then you isolate as best you can knowing that you can’t really control the spread,' he added. 'This is going to come, we’re going to have to go through it.' He also attempted to prevent panic during the press conference, stating that the city is prepared for the case, after the weekend saw New Yorkers rush to stock up on emergency items. 'Remember this was not a question of if, but when,' he added. 'We are prepared. We can’t allow fear to outpace reason.' Gov. Andrew Cuomo admitted that the deadly virus' entrance into New York's population of 19 million was a 'matter of when, not if.' He went on to say that there is a $40million emergency management authorization legislature that has been proposed to government officials and is anticipating it's quick approval. 'There is no reason for undue anxiety, the general risk remains low in New York. We are diligently managing this situation and will continue to provide information as it becomes available,' he wrote. Panic buying hit New York over the weekend with anxious shoppers clearing supermarket shelves as they stock up on food and medical supplies after a woman became the state's first confirmed coronavirus case. People started stockpiling items from stores as the number of cases across the U.S. soared to 89. Two coronavirus-related deaths were also confirmed in Washington state and included a resident at the Life Care Center nursing home and a patient at the EvergreenHealth hospital.
