NEW YORK—New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday that he will prepare hospitals across the state to test for the COVID-19 coronavirus. His plan is to ultimately increase the number of tests the state can give to 1,000 per day.
However, he also urged New Yorkers to relax in case they're alarmed.
"I get the emotion, I understand it, I understand the anxiety," said Cuomo in an effort to extinguish any hysteria. "I'm a native born New Yorker, we live with anxiety, but the facts don't back it up here."
His announcement follows the state's first confirmed coronavirus case. The woman, in her late 30s, quarantined herself with her husband at home after testing positive for the virus she contracted during a visit to Iran.
As a precaution, the governor said he'll implement new cleaning measures for schools and public transportation and warned those areas may smell a little more like bleach.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio added that he wasn't surprised the virus made its way to New York.