Newark Airport Sees NJ’s First Mandatory Coronavirus Quarantine

NEWARK, NJ — New Jersey’s first mandatory quarantine related to the novel coronavirus took place at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, authorities said.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) provided Patch with the following statement about the incident:

“On Tuesday evening, an asymptomatic individual who traveled from China to Newark Liberty International Airport was issued a mandatory quarantine order. While the individual did not present any symptoms, they were in Hubei Province on Feb. 4 and therefore were issued a 14-day quarantine order. The individual, who is not a New Jersey resident, was transported to a location in Essex County, and the New Jersey Department of Health will monitor the individual for symptoms for the next 14 days.”

The risk of novel coronavirus transmission in Garden State residents remains low, the spokesperson said.

As of Wednesday, there have been no reported cases of the virus in New Jersey.

• See related article: 9 Things To Know About Coronavirus In NJ As Students 'Self-Isolate'

The virus, which was first identified in Wuhan, has killed more than 500 people in China, according to reports. More than 160 nonfatal cases have been diagnosed in two dozen other countries, including 11 in the United States, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began screening incoming passengers from China for the virus at Newark Airport on Monday. The airport is one of 11 across the nation that is authorized to receive flights from China under recently tightened regulations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

• See related article: Feds Funnel Planes From China To Newark Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The CDC is recommending that travelers “avoid all nonessential travel” to China for the time being. Foreign nationals who have traveled to China over the past 14 days have temporarily been barred from entering the United States.

U.S. citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family members who have visited mainland China are being allowed to enter the country, but are subject to health monitoring and possible quarantine for up to 14 days, especially those who have visited the Hubei province.

• See related article: Princeton University Students 'Self Isolate' Over Fears Of Coronavirus

According to the DHS, as of Feb. 3, Americans flying to the United States from China will be re-routed to the following airports at “no cost to the traveler”:

• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Washington
• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Hawaii
• Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX), California
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Georgia
• Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Virginia
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), New Jersey
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas
• Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Michigan

Last week, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker pushed for the CDC to add Newark Airport – the nation’s fifth busiest – to its list of ports of entries with stepped-up passenger screenings.

After the CDC added Newark Airport to the list, Menendez and Booker praised the decision in a joint statement:

“As more cases of coronavirus spike across the globe, we must do everything we can to protect Americans here at home. That starts by ensuring all passengers traveling from the affected regions are properly and thoroughly screened upon arrival in the U.S. It is only prudent that any robust and comprehensive public health response include stepped-up efforts at each of our country’s major ports of entry—including Newark Liberty International Airport. There is no question that Newark Liberty is one of the nation’s busiest airports with daily flights arriving from all over the world. We are pleased that the CDC has answered our repeated requests and included Newark Liberty in the agency’s response plan.”

MAYOR: NEWARK IS PREPARED

As in the rest of New Jersey, there are no reported cases of the virus in Newark, but the city is prepared just in case, Mayor Ras Baraka said.

“We are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Transportation and the state concerning the new coronavirus,” Baraka said Tuesday.

“There will be a screening process at [Newark Airport] as the flights land and follow-up measures as needed,” Baraka stated. “Please rest assured that precautions are being taken to limit any exposure and my job to inform our community is important to me.”

Baraka said that city officials have set up protocols consistent with national standards set by the CDC to deal with any cases of the virus in the city, should they occur.

“There is no cause for alarm,” the mayor added. “The city and our medical community is well-prepared in the off-chance we have residents that are affected.”

WHAT IS THE NEW CORONAVIRUS?

What is 2019-nCoV, the new strain of virus? According to the New Jersey Department of Health:

“2019-nCoV is a respiratory infection caused by a novel (new) virus that arose from the area of Wuhan, China in December, 2019. Most of the early cases of this illness were linked to a large seafood and animal market suggesting possible animal-to-person spread of the virus. The market closed on January 2, 2020 as part of the investigation and response to this outbreak. Once a person is infected, the virus causes respiratory illness. Outbreaks of novel virus infections among people are always of public health concern. The risk from these outbreaks depends on the characteristics of the virus, including how well it spreads between people, the severity of the resulting illness, and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, medications or vaccines).”

The CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019-nCoV may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 after exposure. Symptoms can include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey’s hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

This is a developing story. Patch will update this article as more information becomes available. Learn more about the novel coronavirus on the NJDOH website.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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