Coronavirus: Bay Area Testing Lab To Process Local Samples

RICHMOND, CA — Tests for the novel coronavirus will no longer be sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for processing, they will be done right here in California starting next week.

The California Department of Public Health announced Thursday that 16 laboratories, including the state's Viral and Rickettsial Disease Laboratory in Richmond, will begin testing for the novel coronavirus.

This will speed up the process, helping to identify cases sooner, while clearing potential victims who may have been exposed to the deadly disease.

As of Friday morning, China reports 772 deaths, and 34,546 confirmed cases of the virus that emerged in Wuhan, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control reports 12 confirmed cases and no deaths in the US. Half of the cases are in California: two people in Santa Clara County, two people in San Benito County, one person in Los Angeles County and one person in Orange County.

>>Related: Coronavirus: 2 Hospitalized In San Francisco

Hundreds of people who were evacuated from China are being held under quarantine at three military bases in California — at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, and at facilities in San Diego and Riverside counties. Another plane full of evacuees arrived at Miramar in San Diego on Friday, with planes also going to San Antonio and Omaha Friday.

>>Related: NorCal Coronavirus Quarantine Site Chosen

It can take up to 14 days for patients to show symptoms of the virus, although sick people can spread the virus before the onset of symptoms. As a result, all evacuees are placed in a 14-day quarantine.

Cruise Ships

Elsewhere, a Princess Cruises ship that is quarantined at port in Yokohama, Japan now has 61 cases of the novel coronavirus, with the latest confirmed on Friday. Health officials said that the 14-day quarantine for 3,700 crew and passengers will reset each time a new case is confirmed, according to NPR. The cruise line reports that eleven Americans aboard the ship.

The fate of the quarantined ship prompted Royal Caribbean International to temporarily ban all passengers holding a Chinese, Hong Kong or Macau passport, ABC reports. Furthermore, any passengers who have been in close contact with someone who has "traveled from, to, or through mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau [within] less than 15 days" is also banned.

California Testing

Novel coronavirus testing in California will begin in Richmond on Wednesday with results from specimens returned within two days. Other labs are expected to be able to conduct tests within a couple of weeks.

"The California Department of Public Health laboratory is proud to be a part of this statewide network to provide novel coronavirus testing. This will support state and local public health departments and health care providers that are working to protect the health of the people of California," said Dr. Sonia Angell, California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer. "Providing this test in California will deliver more rapid test results to improve care of persons who may be sick with this new virus."

The California Department of Public Health emphasizes that the immediate health risk from novel coronavirus 2019 to the general public is low. This is what the department is doing to combat the outbreak:

• Providing information about the outbreak and how to report suspect cases to local health departments and health care providers in California.
• Coordinating with CDC personnel who are doing screening of travelers from China at SFO and LAX.
• Assuring that health care providers know how to safely manage persons with possible novel coronavirus 2019 infection.
• Activating the Department of Public Health's Emergency Operations Center to coordinate response efforts across the state.