NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday night that the state now has its fourth presumptive positive case of coronavirus.
"This evening, we identified a fourth presumptive positive case of #COVID19 in New Jersey," Murphy tweeted. "The individual, a male in his 50s, is hospitalized at @englewoodhosp in Bergen County. An extensive public health investigation is underway."
The individual has been hospitalized since March 5, Murphy's office said.
On Saturday, Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver said the man's case is connected to a cluster of cases in New Rochelle.
Oliver also said 15 more people are under investigation for the virus in New Jersey.
Earlier in the day, Murphy announced the state's third case.
"The individual, a man in his 60s and is hospitalized in Camden County," Gov. Murphy tweeted.
There was a second positive test for the new coronavirus, Acting Gov. Sheila Oliver said Thursday, as officials disclosed that the first case involved a health care worker who spent time in both New York and Fort Lee.
There are few details about the case, which state and local health officials announced during a news conference at a state police facility, except that the patient is hospitalized in Englewood, Bergen County, not far from the city.
But the first patient, a man in his 30s who works in New York and stayed at homes in both the city and Fort Lee, is doing well in a different Bergen County hospital, Oliver and other officials said.
It's unclear exactly where in New York he worked, Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said, adding that she and other officials said they're still investigating the patients' histories.
Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said the man, hospitalized in Hackensack, was in New York over the weekend, went to work Monday in New York, felt ill and came to Fort Lee Monday evening and then sought treatment. Tedesco stressed "there was no known contact with anyone here in Fort Lee."
Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich said the man lives with his family in New York but has an apartment in Fort Lee and doesn't have school-age children.
"This case is not related to any other cases that we are aware of," Sokolich said.
Persichilli said the first patient is not linked to Westchester, New York, cases.
Ihor Sawczuk, a doctor at Hackensack University Hospital, where the first patient is hospitalized, said he is "resting comfortably and doing well."
So far, 13 people have been tested for COVID-19 in New Jersey, Perschilli said. The other 11 cases have come back negative.
There is no further information regarding the second case. It's not yet known how the two patients got the virus.
Persichilli said the Health Department is continuing "infection control options" and asking those who were in contact with the patients to self-quarantine for at least two weeks.
Oliver also announced that International travel for state workers is banned for now and said that domestic travel for state workers would need to get approval from the governor's office.
Both cases are labeled as "presumptive" and have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmation.
These developments came as federal health officials said they were providing the state with $1.75 million in what they called initial funding to respond to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The U.S. House also passed an $8.3 billion bipartisan bill to combat the virus earlier Wednesday.
Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said Tuesday that the state was preparing for the likelihood that New Jersey would see a case at some point. Persichilli said the state has 700 hospital rooms capable of isolating patients, if needed.
Murphy last month set up a task force to prepare for handling the virus, and Persichilli said a crisis management team has been meeting daily.
Murphy is out of the state after having had surgery to remove what he said was likely a cancerous tumor on his kidney.
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