Featured Story

Ride to hospital led to second positive coronavirus test in Greenport

A 22-year-old Greenport woman drove the first person diagnosed with coronavirus in Suffolk to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital and has since tested positive for the illness, a family member said in an interview Wednesday. She is now the third person in Suffolk County to contract the virus, which was declared by the World Health Organization to be a global pandemic on Wednesday.

Despite the positive diagnosis, the woman has not yet felt any symptoms, said the family member, who lives with her.

“She doesn’t feel anything,” the family member said.

The patient, an employee at Peconic Landing in Greenport who also drives a cab part-time, is remaining upstairs in the home she shares with several family members while others are staying downstairs.

In a call to the school community late Wednesday morning, Greenport Superintendent David Gamberg said three students who had exposure to a confirmed positive COVID-19 coronavirus patient are now in self-quarantine at home. Under advisement from the Suffolk County Health Department, school is remaining open, he said.

The students have not exhibited symptoms, the superintendent said.

“While we want to follow the protocols that the county health department is telling us … we know we have a public that is questioning that,” Mr. Gamberg said.

“I am, as a superintendent, prepared to close schools when I am directed to do so by the authorities.”

Mr. Gamberg said at least one of the three students had exposure to the first person diagnosed on the North Fork and at least one had exposure to the other.

Clean-up efforts also got underway at Greenport Harbor Brewing Co. Wednesday, where Miller Environmental could be seen working. The first local patient diagnosed with the virus worked there, the brewery confirmed Monday.