Coronavirus: Officials Monitoring 200 Ohioans Who Visited China

CLEVELAND — There are currently 212 people in Ohio who have visited China in the past two weeks. All of the travelers are being monitored by health officials, the Ohio Department of Health announced.

None of the travelers have shown symptoms of the virus, health officials said. If they do become sick, they will tested and isolated.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. Seven people have been investigated, tested and did not have coronavirus. There are currently no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Health officials said they will begin providing daily updates on the coronavirus. Updates will be shared online at 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Health officials said they will tell the public about people under investigation and provide guidance to local health departments and residents.

“We want to be as transparent as possible when it comes to giving the latest information about COVID-19,” said Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. “Ohio stands prepared, and we have taken a very aggressive approach to make sure we are ready if a case does happen in Ohio.”

Health officials said residents remain at low-risk of infection.