NYS Department Of Health Issues Warning After Tourist Tests Positive For Measles
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York State Department of Health was on high alert Sunday after a tourist in town from Australia tested positive for measles.
Officials warned some may be at risk after they say the tourist visited seven different places across the Tri-State Area, potentially spreading the virus to other people who were there at the same time.
READ MORE: Museum-Goers Possibly Exposed To Measles, NYS Health Officials Say
The DOH says the tourist with measles started the trip at La Quinta Inn on West 71st Street in Manhattan on February 16th and stayed until the 19th. Officials say those who were at the hotel at the same time may have been exposed to the virus.
The infected tourist also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so anyone who was there on February 16th or 17th should be aware.
Officials say the tourist then went to the Watchtower Educational Center in Putnam County on February 19th and stayed at the Best Western Hotel on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn that night.
The tourist was then off to the Comfort Inn in Goshen until the 21st before first checking into the Excel Urgent Care in Goshen, then heading to Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown.
Officials say the virus could have been spread to anyone at those locations up to two hours after the tourist left.
The DOH says the risk of getting measles is very low, especially for people who have been vaccinated. Symptoms include fever, rash, cough, conjunctivitis, or runny nose. They usually appear 10 to 12 days after exposure, so anyone who thinks they may have been exposed should monitor their health through the end of February and reach out to a doctor if necessary.
