Officials Confirm Eighth U.S. Coronavirus Case In Boston

TSR Updatez: Public health officials have confirmed an eighth U.S. case of coronavirus in a man who lives in Boston.

The man, who is in his 20s, recently returned from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, CNN reports.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Boston Public Health Commission were notified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the positive test results late Friday night.

The man sought medical care when he touched down in Massachusetts, health officials said. He has been isolated since that time but his few close contacts have been identified and are all being monitored for symptoms, according to a news release.

“Our priority is not only to protect and inform the residents of Boston but also to help this man continue to recover. We are pleased that he is doing well,” Boston Public Health Commission Executive Director Rita Nieves said in the release. “Right now, we are not asking Boston residents to do anything differently. The risk to the general public remains low. And we continue to be confident we are in a good position to respond to this developing situation.”

This new case is the first case in Massachusetts and the eighth in the U.S. There are three confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in California, one in Washington state, one in Arizona and two in Illinois. 

The second Illinois case is the first instance of person-to-person transmission here in the U.S.

On Friday, we reported that the CDC ordered 195 evacuees quarantined on in airbase in California’s Riverside County due to possible exposure of the virus.

We’ll keep you posted on this global health emergency, Roommates.