Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC measles case leads health officials to notify Manhattan restaurants, other venues
By
Caroline Lewis
Published May 6, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
By
Caroline Lewis
Published May 6, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
City health officials say a Manhattan resident recently tested positive for measles, and they're working with restaurants and other businesses the person visited to alert anyone who might have been exposed to the virus.
Still, the city's health department says the person contracted the disease abroad and there's no evidence yet of community spread.
The infected person visited two restaurants, a performance venue and multiple health care facilities in Manhattan, according to Chantal Gomez, a spokesperson for the department. She confirmed one of the restaurants is Norma, an Italian eatery in Hell’s Kitchen that was already identified by other media outlets.
Gomez said the agency isn’t disclosing the other businesses because all of them, including Norma, have informed their employees and any patrons who might have been exposed.
“The risk to the general public is low due to high vaccination coverage among New Yorkers and there have been no reports of secondary cases,” Gomez said in a statement.
The person who tested positive is an unvaccinated adult who contracted measles after traveling internationally, according to the health department.
“This is a reminder of the importance of vaccination, which is the best protection against measles,” Gomez said.
This is the fifth case of the measles reported in the city so far this year, all of which the agency says were related to international travel.
While the city is not experiencing a measles outbreak, there are ongoing outbreaks in parts of the United States and other countries.
City health officials said it’s normal to see a certain number of sporadic measles cases locally each year that are not outbreak-related. Last year, 20 such cases were reported citywide.
Across New York state, health officials say there have been 10 confirmed measles cases so far in 2026, including one the Nassau County health department reported Monday.
That case, the first reported in the county since 2024, was in an unvaccinated child under 5 years old, Nassau health officials said. The Nassau County health department did not disclose whether that case was related to international travel, but said the child doesn’t attend school or daycare.
New York City's health department said all adults should make sure they are fully vaccinated against measles and that children 12 months and older get their doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine as soon as they are eligible.
Children over 6 months old who are going to be traveling internationally should get their first dose of that vaccine early, the agency said.
Tagged
Health and Science
long island
manhattan
measles
new york city
new york state
public health
Caroline Lewis
Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .