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Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday confirmed New York State’s first case of the coronavirus, saying that a woman contracted the virus while traveling in Iran and is now in New York City isolated in her home. “The patient has respiratory symptoms, but is not in serious condition and has been in a controlled situation since arriving to New York,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. The woman, who is in her late 30s, is in Manhattan, according to state officials. She returned from Iran last week, and was tested after going to a hospital in the city; she has since been staying at home, officials said. (Goldstein and McKinley, 3/1)

“There is no cause for surprise—this was expected,” [Cuomo] said in a statement. “I said from the beginning it was a matter of when, not if, there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York.” (West, 3/1)

Disease detectives in New York have already identified close contacts of the patient, according to New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot. "As we confront this emerging outbreak, we need to separate facts from fear, and guard against stigma and panic," Barbot said. (Andne, Croft, Gumbrecht and Vera, 3/2)

Some pharmacies are seeing huge queues of customers buying hand sanitizers and face masks. One newsstand owner is cleaning his hands obsessively with a bowl of warm water that he keeps inside his stall. A bar owner has written to the mayor to see whether the city can offer licenses for takeout cocktails. The coronavirus has yet to arrive in New York City, but it looms in the back of the minds of many residents. A first positive test result would quite likely increase tensions even more. But for now, restaurants are still full, and tourists are still headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and are lining up for Broadway shows. (De Freytas-Tamura, 3/1)