New York City Lawyer, Family, Neighbor Infected with Coronavirus

A Manhattan lawyer who contracted the 2019 novel coronavirus was in critical condition on Wednesday, and his wife, son, daughter, and even the neighbor who drove him to the hospital were infected, too.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the four new cases—bringing New York’s total number of confirmed cases to six—were all linked to the Westchester County-based man.

The infected lawyer checked into a suburban hospital on Feb. 27 with respiratory problems and was reportedly diagnosed four days later. He remained in critical condition at the New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan, according to health officials. The firm in question was said to be a boutique seven-lawyer practice in Manhattan located across 42nd Street from Grand Central Terminal, where the patient reportedly commuted on the Metro-North Railroad from a home in New Rochelle.

Another woman, the first case in New York, was previously reported to be in self-isolation at home after returning from travel abroad in Iran.

Officials at Yeshiva University confirmed early Wednesday that the lawyer’s college-age son had tested positive for the virus, as well.

“We have unfortunately received news this morning that our student has tested positive for COVID-19,” the private university announced on Wednesday morning in a press release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as well as to all those affected.” The school said it would cancel all classes on Wilf Campus in Washington Heights on Wednesday but that no other operations would change.

“We understand that the recent news is concerning, and we wanted to reassure you that we have been working closely with NYC health officials and outside specialists, all day and through this evening, to take every necessary precaution to ensure the safety of our community,” said a statement from the school.

Meanwhile, the attorney’s teenage daughter, who reportedly attends SAR Academy and High School in the Bronx, was confirmed to have the virus on Wednesday, The New York Daily News reported. The school has been shut down out of an abundance of caution, according to the city’s health authority.

“The source of the COVID-19 infection is unknown,” said a release from New York City’s Health Department. “The Health Department has provided onsite guidance at all three locations and will be tracking close contacts of the family. Disease detectives from the Health Department are identifying anyone who had close contact with these three individuals for coronavirus testing.”

“Now, more than ever, New Yorkers must come together as a city to limit the spread of COVID-19. If you have symptoms like cough, fever, or shortness of breath, call your health-care provider,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “The Health Department will do everything in our power to minimize the disruption caused by this evolving situation, and we will continue to communicate openly and honestly with New Yorkers.”