Deborah Birx Says NYC Has Unwittingly Spread Virus for Weeks

COVID-19 is attacking nearly 1 of every 1,000 persons in the New York metro area of New Jersey, New York City and parts of Long Island.

Deborah Birx, coordinator of the U.S. coronavirus response, told the daily task force briefing that is five times what other areas are seeing.

She said 28% of the specimens from the New York metro area are testing positive, compared with less than 8% in the rest of the country. New York officials are asking that only people with severe symptoms get tested.

Birx says clearly the coronavirus has been circulating in the New York metro area for a number of weeks for it to have that level of penetration into the general community.

Birx, the State Department physician tapped to advise Vice President Mike Pence on the government's coronavirus response, said she tested negative for the disease over the weekend.

Birx said she was tested after experiencing "a little low grade fever" Saturday.

"Probably a G.I. thing," she said at a White House news conference Monday.

President Donald Trump, standing next to her on the stage in the White House briefing room, pretended to move away from her and jokingly exclaimed "whew" after she said she tested negative.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to issue an executive order mandating anyone arriving on a flight from New York City and the surrounding area submit to self-quarantine for two weeks.

DeSantis said over 100 such flights arrive daily in Florida and he believes each one contains at least one person infected with the coronavirus. Passengers will be screened when they arrive and told they must self-quarantine. They will not be allowed to stay with family or friends because that is one way the virus is spread.

DeSantis says he has been in contact with federal officials about curtailing such flights, but has not heard back yet. He did not say how the self-quarantine would be enforced.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he understands DeSantis' order since New York is an epicenter for the virus in the U.S. However, he has mixed feelings about travel restrictions and says, "I'm not sure it's the most enlightened approach."

Information from Bloomberg was used in this report.