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Health Department Reports First Case Of Coronavirus In Rhode Island

WBLS Staff
03/02/2020 12:00 AM EST
We recently reported that a 19-year-old patient infected with the coronavirus in King County, Washington state, has died. This was the first person to pass away from the virus in the U.S.Now it's being reported that a man in his traveled to Italy in mid-February and now has the first “presumptive positive” case of coronavirus in Rhode Island, according to the state Department of Health.“Fortunately, this person had very limited travel in Rhode Island after returning from Europe,” said Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, director of the state Department of Health. “The patient had not returned to work after coming back from their trip.”“We are not seeing widespread community transmission in Rhode Island, and the general level of risk for Rhode Islanders is still low,” said Alexander-Scott. “However, everyone in Rhode Island has a role to play in helping us prevent the spread of viruses, just like the flu. It is very important that people wash their hands regularly, cover their coughs and sneezes, and stay home if they are sick.”