BOSTON (AP) - A second person in Massachusetts tested positive for the new coronavirus, the state Department of Public Health said in a news release Monday.
The woman in her 20s had recently traveled to Italy with a school group. She lives in Norfolk County, where she is recovering at home.
“We are grateful this individual is recovering,” Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said in the release. “We understand the concern this new virus is causing, and our state’s ability to quickly test for the virus is a positive development. The risk to the public from COVID-19 remains low in Massachusetts.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will examine the results to confirm whether she has COVID-19.
There has been a single case of COVID-19 in Massachusetts. A man in his 20s was confirmed to have the virus in early February. He’s a student at the University of Massachusetts Boston who had traveled to Wuhan, China, and sought medical care soon after his return.
As of last week, 608 people have been subject to self-quarantine in Massachusetts because of COVID-19. Of those, 377 people have completed monitoring and are no longer quarantined, while 231 are currently quarantined, according to the release.
The number of cases in the U.S. has climbed to at least 91, including six deaths, all in Washington state. Worldwide, more than 89,000 people have been infected and more than 3,000 have died.
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