Lawmaker: Presumed Coronavirus Patient In Delaware County Believed To Have Been Infected At Boston Event
MEDIA, Pa. (CBS) -- Eyewitness News has learned new details about the patient identified as being the first presumed positive coronavirus case in Delaware County, including which hospital treated the woman. During a Friday press conference, county officials say the affected woman was diagnosed on Thursday. She has since been isolated in her home.
After today's press conference, Pennsylvania state Rep. Greg Vitali, who represents Delaware and Montgomery Counties, told CBS3 he was briefed on a conference call held to inform them on the county response. There they learned the local victim was treated at Crozer Chester Hospital and was believed to have been infected at an event in Boston, and not from another local person from Pennsylvania.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is aggressively tracking down everyone this woman has been in most recent contact with.
Delaware County officials say the woman came into contact with COVID-19 while traveling to a different state in the U.S. Officials say the person she was with tested positive. She then went to get tested as well.
Delaware County officials say they've been preparing for a local outbreak since January, when fears of coronavirus started spreading. They say there is a plan in place for a possible outbreak.
"We want to assure you we are prepared," Delaware County Council Vice Chair Monica Taylor said.
That plan includes providing all first responders with face masks, which may help when responding to emergency calls involving residents with coronavirus.
Extra measures are also in place to ensure buildings are as germ-free as possible. Officials want the public to know there's no need to panic.
"They're aggressively chasing down who they had contact with and reaching out to them," said Dr. George Avetian, senior medical adviser for Delaware County. "Our role is to prevent panic but there is a heightened sense of emergency now that we have a presumed case."
Officials won't say exactly where in the county this woman lives, but if they believe people are in danger, they will let them know.
A planned workshop for 10th graders at Delaware County Community College for about 75 kids from Philadelphia for Monday has been canceled due to coronavirus concerns. Officials have yet to decide if the event will be rescheduled.
