Coronavirus: Evacuees Arrive In NorCal

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Two planes carrying around 350 Americans evacuated from China landed at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield early Wednesday, authorities confirm, with one slated to continue to Miramar in southern California. All of the passengers will be quarantined for 14 days, to make sure they don't have the novel coronavirus.

The US government chartered the planes. Evacuees will stay at the base's Westwind Inn. The inn will be cordoned off to protect the privacy of the evacuees and to protect the service personnel at the air base, according to military officials.

The 14-day quarantine will be managed by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, military officials said.

Health and Human Services personnel will be responsible for all care, security and transportation for the evacuees. Travis Air Force Base is only providing housing at this time, according to officials at the air base.

Initial reports were that 550 Americans would be aboard the planes, but that number was scaled back.

The military announced on Saturday that Travis is one of four designated evacuation centers.

>>Related: NorCal Coronavirus Quarantine Site Chosen

Child hospitalized

Already, 195 people have been quarantined at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County. One of them, a child whose age and identity were not provided, was transported by ambulance to a hospital Monday evening "out of an abundance of caution" and is accompanied by a parent, according to official. Test results from the child, sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are expected later this week.

No confirmed cases of coronavirus have been reported in Riverside County.

The Americans quarantined at March ARB were flown from Wuhan, China last week. The city of Wuhan, which is in the Hubei Province, is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

One person who flew into Los Angeles International Airport on Monday on a flight from China has been placed under federal quarantine and was transferred to the base, health officials confirmed.

"The individual has no symptoms of novel coronavirus, but was moved to March out of an abundance of caution and because of their travel history," Riverside County Public Health officials reported. "The federal quarantine order for this person expires Feb. 6. The individual will be isolated away from the 195 others who arrived last week."

>>Related: Coronavirus: Child Quarantined At March ARB Hospitalized

Health Care Workers In Santa Clara County Sent Home

In Santa Clara County, where two cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed, the public health department confirmed on Tuesday that five healthcare workers at Good Samaritan Hospital have been sent home because they may have had contact with the patients.

In a statement, the department said, "As part of our contact investigation, five healthcare workers were found to have been exposed. These workers have been instructed to stay home until February 11th. This is being done to protect the public’s health and limit any potential spread of the virus."

The two Santa Clara County patients had both traveled from Wuhan. Both are recovering at home without hospitalization.

San Francisco Patients

Two patients from San Benito County were transferred to UCSF Medical Center, it was announced on Monday, because their conditions became significantly worse. The patients are a husband and wife. The husband had recently returned from China, and his wife caught the virus from him after he got home. This is one of two US cases in which a spouse transmitted the virus here.

The San Benito couple had been in isolation at home, but were transferred to San Francisco by ambulance.

On Tuesday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health reported that the city has no cases of its own, and worked to calm fears that are spreading through the community, especially in Chinatown where restaurants and shops report a significant drop in business.

Contra Costa County Prepares

Contra Costa County public health officials told county supervisors Tuesday that while planning is still in its early stages for a worst-case scenario of a coronavirus outbreak, the county hospital in
Martinez and other hospitals are ready to handle what cases they expect to get.

"We are ready if there are cases that come to us," said Jaspreet Benepal, interim CEO of the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, the county-run Martinez hospital.

She said county officials are working with other local governmental public health departments, area hospitals and state Department of Public Health officials to be as prepared as possible.

Though Contra Costa County had not reported any coronavirus cases by midday Tuesday, that didn't stop County Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond from asking, "Are we really prepared for a major increase in cases?"

Dan Paddycord, Contra Costa County's director of public health, responded that all indications are that area hospitals are ready, and should be able to handle whatever comes. He also told supervisors he doesn't expect a worst-case scenario in this county, but said regional health officers have been collaborating on "surge plans" should this respiratory virus gain momentum.

"I'll feel a lot more comfortable after two or three more incubation periods," which can be as long as 14 days each, Paddycord said.

Anna Roth, Contra Costa Health Services director, said, "The risk is low, but we're taking this seriously."

Coronavirus By The Numbers

The CDC is still reporting eleven confirmed cases in the US, with six of those cases in California, and no deaths.

In China, the death toll has risen to 490, with 24,324 confirmed cases.

Outside of China, dozens of countries report cases of the novel coronavirus, including cases that health officials say prove that the virus is spread more easily than previously believed. There are three cases in Thailand of taxi drivers catching the virus after transporting tourists from China.

A Japanese cruise ship with 3,700 crew and passengers has been quarantined for up to 14 days. Ten people from the ship have been hospitalized with cases of the coronavirus.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists these nations as having confirmed cases of novel coronavirus as of 11 a.m. Tuesday:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Cambodia
• Canada
• China
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• India
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea
• Macau
• Malaysia
• Nepal
• Philippines
• Russia
• Sri Lanka
• Singapore
• Spain
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Vietnam

— Patch editors Bea Karnes and Toni McAllister, and Bay City News contributed to this story

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