Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Rath Hoffman has spoken about the US coronavirus response, including the treatment of US nationals arriving from China.
The Pentagon has released a statement detailing the US coronavirus response including quarantine measures, travel rules, and the work done by Health and Human Services. Hoffman said DOD is housing 198 people at March Air Reserve Base, California, and has identified housing support for up to 1,000 people at four bases who may need to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas travel.
The four bases where people could be housed if they are quarantined are the 168th Regiment, Regional Training Institute in Fort Carson, Colorado; Travis Air Force Base, California; Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. Defense Secretary Dr Mark T. Esper will speak with Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, commander of the U.S. Northern Command, to ensure the general has what he needs to support the effort, Hoffman said.
The State Department has raised its travel advisory recommendation to ”do not travel” to China, the epicentre of the outbreak. On Jan. 23, the State Department ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their families from the Chinese province of Wuhan.
The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak in China a public health emergency of international concern. Worldwide, more than 17,000 people have been infected by the virus and more than 350 have died from it; the vast majority of those infected are in China.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs is working with the Joint Staff and others for any potential increased screening of DOD populations at ports of entry. DOD officials said the department will work closely with interagency efforts and follow CDC guidance regarding the outbreak.
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