Vermont has its second case of the new coronavirus, a man in his 70s who has been hospitalized with COVID-19, health officials said Wednesday.
The second case comes several days after Vermont's first case was announced. The state has so far been spared the major outbreaks being seen in other states, like Massachusetts — more than 1,000 coronavirus cases have been found across the country.
The Vermont man who newly tested positive for the coronavirus is from Chittenden County and is being treated in the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, the state's Department of Health announced.
Investigators are trying to track down anyone who might have been in close contact with the man, who was admitted to the hospital this week.
"This case came to light the same day that the World Health Organization officially termed the outbreak a global pandemic," Health Commissioner Mark Levine said in a statement. "The seriousness of this virus and the rate it is spreading in the US and around the world reinforces the importance of everyone staying informed and following CDC guidance about avoiding crowds, non-essential travel, and other recommended steps for protecting your health and preventing germs from spreading."
The state's first coronavirus case was in a person "on the more serious end of the spectrum of illness," Levine said at the time.
No update was given on that patient's condition in Wednesday's announcement.
