July 20 (UPI) -- A third person has died in the Upper East Side's ongoing Legionnaires' disease outbreak, New York City health officials said, even as the rate of new cases has significantly slowed and the source of the cluster is believed to have been eliminated.
The identity of the patient will not be made public out of respect for the family, Dr. Alister Martin, New York City Health commissioner said in a Sunday statement.
"Our hearts are with their family and friends as they mourn their loss," Martin said.
The death is the third the city has announced in three days, with the first death in the cluster announced Friday.
City health officials have identified a total of 74 cases amid the outbreak, which was made public July 2, after two people were diagnosed with the disease. Eight patients remain hospitalized, 51 have been discharged and 12 did not require hospitalization, according to city statistics.
