US health officials will begin screening passengers at San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles airports for symptoms of the coronavirus from China’s Wuhan province.
So far, the new virus has spread outside of China to Japan and Taiwan, and CDC officials said in a conference call with reporters that they expect more cases will be reported outside of China. The risk to Americans is deemed to be low, the CDC said.
Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, said in a conference call that the CDC will be sending about 100 additional staff to the three airports — Los Angeles International, San Francisco International and New York’s John F. Kennedy International — to supplement existing staff at quarantine stations located at those airports.
Under the screening procedures, travelers from Wuhan will be taken to a separate area in the airport, where they will complete a questionnaire and be checked for fever. Those with symptoms will be asked additional health- and exposure-related questions, and those needing more follow-up will be referred to a designated healthcare facility for more testing.
