New York City EMT Tests Positive for Coronavirus

An emergency medical technician with New York City's fire department has tested positive for coronavirus, a union official confirmed Monday, adding it was "inevitable" one of its members got sick, as they are "continually exposed to disease and illness."

"Today we received confirmation that a member of the FDNY Emergency Medical Services, assigned to the Borough of Brooklyn, has tested positive for the coronavirus, also identified as COVID-19," said Oren Barzilay, president of EMS union local 2507, reports The New York Daily News. "This is the first confirmed case by one of New York City's medical first responders."

The infected EMT and several co-workers are under a mandatory quarantine, Barzilay said, adding the union is "confident that the FDNY, together with the Department of Health, will be diligent in tracking down people outside of the department that have been in contact with this member."

The FDNY did not respond immediately for comment. 

So far, 142 cases have been diagnosed in the state of New York, including 20 confirmed cases in New York City. Meanwhile, 24 people are under mandatory quarantine in New York City.

Saturday, the Daily News reported the FDNY has been pulling firefighters from answering calls for people describing symptoms associated with coronavirus, referring 911 calls for asthma attacks, coughs, difficulty in breathing, and fever to the City's Emergency Medical Service.

However, FDNY Spokesman Frank Dwyer said firefighters will continue to "respond to the highest-priority medical calls, whether they are potential COVID-19 calls or not, including Segment 1 incidents, cardiac and respiratory arrests, choking and trauma incidents."

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