An FDNY emergency medical technician tested positive for the coronavirus Monday and has become the first confirmed case among the department's first responders.
The EMT, who works out of Brooklyn, is now under mandatory quarantine, Oren Barzilay, president of EMS union, Local 2507, told the New York Daily News. Several of the infected individual's EMS co-workers also have been quarantined, he added.
"This is the first confirmed case by one of New York City’s medical first responders," Barzilay told the Daily News. "This was inevitable given that our members are continually exposed to disease and illness."
The latest patient marks 142 confirmed cases in New York State. In New York City, there have been 20 confirmed cases, with 24 people quarantined in connection with the virus, the Daily News added. The coronavirus has not been responsible for any deaths in the state, but it has claimed 22 lives in the United States.
“We are confident that the FDNY, together with the Department of Health, will be diligent in tracking down people outside of the department that have been in contact with this member," Barzilay said.
