ALBANY – The Capital Region is now dealing with its first confirmed cases of coronavirus, with two patients testing positive in Saratoga County, state and county officials said Saturday.

The two are a 57-year-old male pharmacist and a 52-year-old woman, both of whom are quarantined at home, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his staff. The woman contracted the illness after attending a conference in Miami, where she came in contact with a Pennsylvania resident who has also tested positive for the virus, Cuomo said. According to several media sources, the pharmacist works at the CVS drug store in Queensbury, which has been closed for cleaning.

The Post-Star, quoting a statement from a CVS spokesman, said the chain is following Warren County's infectious disease protocols and that the health department "has informed us that pharmacy patients are considered being at low risk and the prescriptions dispensed from this store do not represent a risk to our customers.”

City of Saratoga Springs Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton said Saturday she was told the two are a couple living in the town of Northumberland, but she said she could not disclose other details.

Officials with the governor's office said later Saturday that the Department of Health is looking into any interaction the pharmacist may have had with the public and whether that should be a concern.

Saratoga County Director of Public Health Services Catherine Duncan said both persons are displaying minor symptoms. She said the county is still "early in the investigation to determine the breadth of contact that these individuals had with others in the community."

"The county will be contacting individuals and businesses that these two individuals visited and has activated the response plan in place for the threat of widespread illnesses," Duncan's statement said. "Our team is working hard, in collaboration with the State Department of Health, to contain and mitigate the impact that this will have on public health and to limit the potential of any further spread."

State of emergency declared

The total number of cases of COVID-19, the respiratory illness cause by the virus, in New York climbed to 89 on Saturday, said Cuomo. He declared a state of emergency that will allow the state to more quickly purchase supplies and otherwise respond to the outbreak. The two Capital Region cases are the first to be confirmed outside the greater New York City area and its suburbs.

"As we continue to provide essential updates and encourage people to act upon the facts on coronavirus instead of the hype, I have officially done a declaration of emergency which gives us certain powers to help local health departments that are very stressed," Cuomo said.

Most of the cases – 70 – are centered in Westchester County. There are another 11 cases in New York City, two in Rockland County and four in Nassau County.

Cuomo has held a press conference each day over the past week since the first New Yorker tested positive for the disease last Sunday. He has said repeatedly that confirmed cases are expected to grow as the state augments its testing capabilities, though the overall cause for concern is low in the state.

“We are testing aggressively," Cuomo said, with the good news being that officials know who is ill. “The more positives you find, the better.”

Over the past two weeks, more people have recovered from the illness than those who have contracted it, he said. "We know that 80 percent of those infected will self-resolve," he said.

More information The state Department of State's Consumer Protection Division is launching an investigation into reports of unfair price increases of consumer products such as household cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer amid the novel coronavirus outbreak and launched a toll-free hotline - 1-800-697-1220 - for New Yorkers to report suspected price gouging. Gov. Cuomo said travel insurance companies and travel agents will offer New York residents and businesses the ability to purchase coverage when making travel plans that would allow them to cancel a trip for any reason, including for reasons related to COVID-19. For more information, see the Saratoga County Public Health website at https://www.saratogacountyny.gov/departments/publichealth/ Or call the NYS Health Department hotline at 1-888-364-3065 See More Collapse

Cuomo said the state is continuing to monitor the outbreak, while also cracking down on price gouging for cleaning and health supplies and following up with those who may not honor voluntary quarantines, which he called "disrespectful to the community."

Capital Region efforts

Some efforts have already formed in Saratoga County to brace for the emergence of the virus. Clifton Park recently formed a public health committee meant to be a rapid response team cutting across all public sectors.

Dalton, the Saratoga Springs commissioner, said the city has been extensively preparing for potentially infected individuals, including identification, methods of quarantine and methods of monitoring patients. "Our first responders in the Saratoga Springs Fire and Police Departments have been educated on the proper approach to manage a suspected case that best protects the staff and patient," Dalton said.

Ellis Medicine, which serves many Saratoga County residents, said it continues its ongoing preparedness, as it has for more than a month, and is closely monitoring developments, and both collaborating with and following guidance from local, state and federal agencies.

Also on Saturday, Albany Medical Center, Ellis Medicine, and St. Peter’s Health Partners said they are reinforcing visitation guidelines first enacted on Dec. 11, after the declaration by the state health commissioner about the prevalence of flu cases in certain counties. These guidelines remain in effect as hospitals plan for the spread of COVID-19. If you have a fever, shortness of breath, cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, do not visit until you are completely recovered, the hospitals advise. Respiratory viruses can cause more serious illness in hospitalized patients.

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