Lawyer tests positive for coronavirus; officials say he's second person in NYC to be diagnosed
Image from Shutterstock.com.
An attorney at a Manhattan trusts and estates law firm has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Tuesday.
The 50-year-old lawyer, who has not been named, works at Lewis and Garbuz, a firm that lists six attorneys and one paralegal on its website. City officials said he had underlying respiratory issues and first became ill Feb. 22. He was hospitalized Feb. 27 and is currently in serious condition.
The Wall Street Journal, Law.com, Forbes and Business Insider have coverage.
The New York Times and NBC New York also reported Wednesday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the attorney’s wife, son, daughter and neighbor have also now tested positive for the coronavirus.
The son, who was symptomatic before his father, attends Yeshiva University in Manhattan. The school canceled all classes Wednesday. The daughter attends SAR Academy and High School in the Bronx, and it also closed as a precaution. The family is quarantined in their home.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference Tuesday that the people who work with the attorney at Lewis and Garbuz will also be tested, according to Law.com.
The attorney had traveled to Miami in early February but not to China or any other countries associated with the coronavirus outbreak. Officials say he was the second person in New York City to test positive for the virus but is considered the first case of community transmission.
See also:
ABA Journal: “How BigLaw and the courts are responding to coronavirus; potential illness closes one firm’s office”
