Man flew to Palm Beach after positive coronavirus test: reports

A passenger flying from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Palm Beach, Fla., has been diagnosed with coronavirus, according to media reports.

The individual was on a JetBlue plane with 114 passengers that landed Wednesday evening, with officials telling passengers to remain on the tarmac for several hours as health officials spoke to travelers on board, according to ABC News.

One of the passengers on the plane said the person diagnosed with coronavirus may have received the news before the plane departed, according to WPTV in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“The person across the way from me was taken to the back of the plane. He was wearing masks and gloves. His wife was sitting in the same row as me and mentioned to others that he wasn’t feeling well. She said he had gotten a phone call with his test results right before we had taken off, implying that he had a positive test but not actually saying it,” passenger Scott Rodman told WPTV.

People sitting adjacent to the passenger who tested positive for the virus were offered information about monitoring their health.

Workers for the airline sterilized the containment area where passengers left the plane. In New York, JetBlue workers also conducted additional cleaning of the gate from which the plane departed, according to the Port Authority in New York.

“The health and safety of our customers and crewmembers is our first priority. In reviewing last night’s event, we determined the customer boarded our flight knowing he was awaiting results for a coronavirus test without disclosing it to anyone at,” JetBlue said in a statement. 

In the U.S., there are about 1,323 confirmed cases and 38 deaths from COVID-19, according to the ABC report.