More Americans are expected to be evacuated from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, as US health officials reported a 12th domestic case of coronavirus late Wednesday. Earlier Wednesday, two planes carrying 350 Americans landed at an Air Force base in California. Some of those passengers were then flown to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego. Both groups were put under a 14-day quarantine, US health officials said. At least one more plane is expected to fly more American evacuees to military bases in Nebraska and Texas this week, The New York Times reported. In total, more than 500 Americans have already been evacuated.
The first group of evacuees, who were flown out of Wuhan, China, a week ago, were moved off Travis Air Force Base in anticipation of the new arrivals, the Associated Press reported.
That first group was told on Wednesday that they have all tested negative for coronavirus, health officials said. But they were to remain in quarantine for about another week, the Times reported.
On the more recent evacuation flights, five people -- three adults and two children -- showed signs of cough or fever and were taken to hospitals for evaluation, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Times reported.
"CDC staff are there meeting the planes and assessing the health of each passenger," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the US National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a Wednesday media briefing. "The passengers will be screened, monitored and evaluated by medical and public health personnel, including before takeoff and during the flight."
"The measures we are taking may not catch every single returning traveler with this novel coronavirus, given the nature of this virus and how it's spreading," Messonnier added. "But if we can catch the majority of them, that will slow the entry of this virus into the United States."
Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday that it had fast-tracked a test for the virus in an effort to help speed screening efforts.
"Today, the test kits will start shipping to over 100 US public health labs," Messonnier said during the media briefing Wednesday. "Initially, 200 test kits will be distributed to US domestic laboratories, and another 200 will be distributed to selected international laboratories. Each test kit can perform 700 to 800 patient samples."
As of Wednesday, 206 Americans under investigation have tested negative, she said, with testing pending on 76 people.
"You may start hearing from states directly about confirmed cases," Messonnier noted. "As always, their count will be the most up-to-date." Twelve cases of coronavirus have been confirmed so far in the United States, with the latest case reported late Wednesday in Wisconsin, the AP reported.
Worldwide, there are roughly 28,018 cases of the new coronavirus, most of those in China. There are now 260 coronavirus cases in at least 24 countries outside China. Two deaths outside China -- one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong -- have also been reported, the Times said. In response, the United States has begun to bar entry to any foreigners who have recently traveled to China.
HealthDay