Three airports will begin screening arrivals from Wuhan, China, on Friday for a mystery virus that has spread beyond Chinese borders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it was working with the Department of Homeland Security to begin screening travelers from Wuhan to the United States for the mystery pneumonia-like illness at three airports that receive most of the travelers from Wuhan: John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and the airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
The coronavirus, or cluster of viruses, that first appeared in Wuhan has already killed two people and infected 41 more. The viruses have also spread to Thailand and Japan, though no one has died.
“To further protect the health of the American public during the emergence of this novel coronavirus, CDC is beginning entry screening at three ports of entry,” said Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. “Investigations into this novel coronavirus are ongoing and we are monitoring and responding to this evolving situation.”
The risk of illness to the public is low, the CDC said, but it is taking precautions.
The source of the virus is still unknown, but the World Health Organization reported that Chinese officials think the contagion started at a seafood market in Wuhan that sells other animals.
