A woman in New Jersey who tested positive for coronavirus at a hospital provided workers with a fake name and address and then left — causing city officials to plead with her to come forward.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said at a press conference on Tuesday that the woman went to East Orange General Hospital on Saturday and received a test for the coronavirus, which came back positive.
The woman, however, had already left and had provided the hospital with the wrong address and a false name. Baraka said the woman posed a “public health risk” to not only herself but the community, and urged her to come forward.
In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, the mayor said the woman had been found, but did not provide further details. Attempts by NBC News to reach the mayor were not immediately successful.
During his press conference, Baraka urged the public to take the coronavirus seriously.
“I want to reiterate to folks, at the hospital, you have to give your real name, you have to give a right phone number, you have to give an emergency contact,” he said. “This is not a joke. This is a very, very, very serious matter.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are more than 260 cases of coronavirus in New Jersey, according to the state Department of Health. Gov. Phil Murphy said in a tweet Monday night that the third person in the state died of the virus; a man in his 90s.
