Coronavirus outbreak: China evacuees to be quarantined at Travis Air Force Base
FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KGO) -- Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield is providing facilities to house up to 250 people evacuated from China as a precaution over coronavirus.
Four military bases are on standby to house those who need to be screened for coronavirus. Travis is prepared to quarantine those who arrive from China for at least 14 days within the month of February.
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The evacuees will be repeatedly screened for coronavirus before they ever land at Travis Air Force Base. They will be quarantined at the Westwind Inn on the base itself according to the Pentagon with the CDC in charge of their care and security.
Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said, "They have individual bathrooms for Jack and Jill bathrooms so individuals can be quarantined."
Fairfield's Mayor Harry Price said he had been briefed by the CDC. He said he was told, "They are coming. We just don't know when or for certain how many."
14,000 people work at Travis Air Force Base and some in town are concerned.
"There are people out there with compromised immune systems and this would be detrimental to them and I know they are very nervous with the fact this is going to be in our community," said Fairfield resident CJ Kaialoa.
Resident Megan Payne had a different take.
"I'm not concerned because the flu virus kills more people than the coronavirus has," said Payne.
No military personnel or outside residents will have contact with the 200+ people to be isolated on the base. Only the CDC will be in touch with the evacuees for the next few weeks.
See more stories related to coronavirus here.
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