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No Official Quarantine For US Passengers From Wuhan, China
Public health officials talk about Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China (Caroline Champlin / LAist)
U.S. citizens traveling on a jet chartered to evacuate them from Wuhan, China landed this morning in Riverside County. Approximately 210 passengers arriving from the epicenter a deadly outbreak of coronavirus are being held at the March Air Reserve Base for 72 hours to have their symptoms checked.
That said, authorities noted no one is being officially limited to the base.
After 72 hours, the passengers will be able to travel on to other places in the U.S.
They will be monitored daily for a 14-day incubation period.
The flight was initially slated to land at the Ontario Airport, but was redirected last night. At a news conference this morning, Dr. Chris Braden from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the last-minute change was intended for the passengers’ comfort since they'd need a place to stay when they landed.
He said the CDC held off on a full-on federal quarantine to protect the rights and freedoms of the passengers.
Currently, the only facility able to screen for coronavirus is in the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Braden says he’s confident the medical tests for the recently-landed passengers should be finished within three days. Still, the CDC doesn’t know how long it takes for symptoms to develop, or at what point a person becomes infectious.
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