RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, to the United States will be quarantined for two weeks to be monitored for symptoms of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control announced on Friday.
On Wednesday, a plane chartered by the U.S. government was used to transport the 195 people out of Wuhan to the March Air Reserve Base near Riverside, California. If individuals at the base present symptoms, the CDC says medical care will be readily available.
The CDC says that even if a screening test comes back negative, it does not conclusively mean an individual is at no risk of developing the disease over the 14-day incubation period.
“This action is a precautionary and preventive step to maximize the containment of the virus in the interest of the health of the American public,” wrote the CDC. “This legal order will protect the health of the repatriated citizens, their families, and their communities.”
As of Friday, China reported 43 more deaths, bringing the country’s death toll to 213. That’s the highest death toll in a 24-hour period, according to The New York Times. Chinese authorities reported nearly 2,000 new cases, bringing the worldwide total to around 9,800.
While the U.S. has only reported one case of the coronavirus being spread person-to-person, China is continuing to report more cases of the virus spreading between humans. China says it also has seen cases in which the virus was spread without the person showing symptoms, but the CDC says it’s still unsure how this could affect the U.S.
The CDC says it’s taking the necessary steps to prepare for the possibility of the outbreak turning into a pandemic.
The CDC is also concerned about the xenophobia as the outbreak continues to spread to countries around the world.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, after cases were discovered in more than a dozen countries. The declaration can help galvanize international funding to combat the spread of the virus.
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