A pair of man and woman are the first cases of the new coronavirus in Paterson, according to municipal officials.

Mayor Andre Sayegh revealed the cases in a news briefing on Monday morning. He said the man is in his 40s and the woman is in her 30s. He said the married couple have two children. One child showed symptoms and is being tested — test results are pending — and the second child has not shown any symptoms, according to officials.

The family is isolating themselves at their home until cleared by health officials. Officials said neither child is a student at the Paterson Public Schools.

Health officer Paul Persaud said the man works in Teaneck and was likely exposed there. It’s not known how he contracted Covid-19. He said exposure at this time is limited to the household. Officials said state and municipal health officials are tracing close contacts of the family members.

“Even before these first cases of Paterson residents were confirmed, my Administration has implemented preventative measures to practice social distancing and containment to avoid community spread,” said Sayegh. “We ask that residents remain calm and isolate themselves as much as possible in order to do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

Previously, well-known doctor James Pruden, 70-year-old, who is head of emergency preparedness at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, tested positive for the virus. He is currently in critical but stable condition at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Pruden is a resident of Teaneck, a city that was placed under lock-down over the weekend due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

Passaic County has five cases of the new coronavirus. Paterson is the largest city in Passaic County. Overall, New Jersey has 98 positive cases of the Covid-19. 2 people have died. And 34 people are under investigation, according to the New Jersey Department of Health.

Email: [email protected]