Ebola Scare Hits CMJ as Brooklyn Venue Attended by First NYC Patient Is Closed for Investigation
Photo via The Gutter’s website
The first person to test positive for the Ebola virus in New York City visited the Williamsburg bowling alley/concert venue the Gutter last night, The New York Times reports. The CMJ Music Marathon is currently underway, with many venues in Williamsburg, including the Gutter, hosting events.
The Times reports that Dr. Craig Spencer returned to New York City on October 17 after treating Ebola patients in Guinea. This morning, he was hospitalized with a fever and has since tested positive for the disease, though the New York Times reports that the Centers For Disease Control will be performing a secondary test to confirm the results.
Dr. Spencer did not report a fever until this morning, after his trip to the music venues. The Gutter is currently shut down, with tonight’s CMJ events canceled. The Times reports that health workers will inspect the venue tomorrow. Early reports indicated that Spencer may have visited Brooklyn Bowl in addition to the Gutter, but that turned out not to be true.
Dr. Spencer has been placed in isolation at Bellevue Hospital Center, and his fiancée has been quarantined.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio gave a press conference tonight assuring New Yorkers that the risk of catching the virus remains very, very small. As the Times reports, he said “Being on the same subway car or living near a person with Ebola does not in itself put someone at risk.” The disease does not spread through the air, and it is only transmittable by an infected person who is showing symptoms.
Read more about Ebola and its transmission here.
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