Stamford woman, recently returned from Italy, tests positive for coronavirus

Stamford Hospital Chairman of Infectious Diseases Dr. Michael Parry demonstrates a string mask while speaking about the coronavirus. Stamford Hospital Chairman of Infectious Diseases Dr. Michael Parry demonstrates a string mask while speaking about the coronavirus. Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Stamford woman, recently returned from Italy, tests positive for coronavirus 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — A Stamford woman who returned from international travel has tested positive for COVID-19 and is being treated at Stamford Hospital.

City officials said the woman, who is in her 60s, returned from Italy Tuesday and was preemptively isolated at Stamford Hospital. This infection was not contracted in the United States and is the first reported case of the coronavirus among Stamford residents.

“We anticipated this event for the past two months. We were — and are — ready to take care of patients in a safe and effective manner,” said Dr. Michael Parry, Stamford Health’s chief of infectious diseases.

The woman arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York Tuesday presenting with symptoms of COVID-19, city officials said. The woman’s family picked up the individual from the airport and adhered to all precautionary measures recommended for individuals who recently traveled from areas with high levels of COVID-19 reports, including Wuhan Province in China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea. She was immediately provided a facemask, gloves, and traveled by a private vehicle to minimize potential exposure to others.

“I applaud these residents for following the recommended precautionary measures in this incident,” said Mayor David Martin. “These measures are the type of small changes we can make in our habits to reduce exposure risk in Stamford’s community.”

Upon arrival at Stamford Hospital, medical workers utilized the appropriate personal protective equipment and adhered to all the measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, city officials said. The woman has been placed in isolation at Stamford Hospital and will remain in isolation until they are deemed well by medical professionals.

At this time, the state of Connecticut Department of Public Health and Stamford’s Department of Health do not believe she or her family exposed any other Stamford residents to the virus; however, her family has been placed in voluntary quarantine at home as a precautionary measure.

Also on Thursday, Greenwich Hospital announced that a patient cared for in the emergency department had tested positive for the coronavirus. The young woman in her 20s who lives in New York but was seen as an outpatient at Greenwich Hospital. She is recovering at home, the governor’s office said.

Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said the State Laboratory has tested a total of 95 individuals; Six of the individuals have tested positive and 89 have tested negative.

The sixth case is of a child who lives in Stratford and is currently at home recovering. That child had been exposed to another known positive case.