Two-hundred Americans are being asked to remain at a California military base for three days after being evacuated from Wuhan.
More than 200 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, are being asked to stay at a California military base for at least three days to be monitored for signs of coronavirus and limit the possibility of spreading it to others.
Their plane was met on Wednesday at March Air Reserve Base near Riverside by medical officers deployed by the Centers for Disease Control to assess the health of the passengers, according to a statement from the CDC.
"CDC staff have conducted risk assessments to ensure the health of each traveler, including temperature checks and observing for respiratory symptoms," the statement said.
One evacuee, Jarred Evans, plays pro football in China. He told Inside Edition that none of his fellow travelers were experiencing symptoms, although the group was "taking precautions" as they wait it out over the next few days.
"Everyone is pretty calm, walking around and enjoying the sunny California weather right now," Evans said.
Other footage shows the evacuees in what appears to be an outdoor courtyard eating a buffet-style breakfast.
The CDC says they will continue to monitor the evacuees at the base and transport people showing symptoms to the hospital. The virus causes respiratory infections, with symptoms of cough, fever, body aches and trouble breathing. It can be fatal in a small number of cases.
In China, coronavirus has killed at least 170 people and sickened more than 8,000 others since the first case was identified in the city of Wuhan in December. Chinese officials expect many more cases, and fears of the virus spreading through mass travel prompted the country to extend the Lunar New Year holiday until Feb. 2.
Six people in the United States have been diagnosed with the virus, including one woman who lives with the patient previously diagnosed in Chicago who had recently traveled to Wuhan. That case marks the first time the virus has spread from person-to-person in the U.S., NBC News reported Thursday, citing the CDC. Other cases have been reported in California, Washington and Arizona.
The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency on Thursday afternoon.
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