The number of U.S. citizens brought to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield because of coronavirus fears has doubled.
A flight chartered by the U.S. State Department touched down on Sunday night, the first time confirmed cases have been brought to the base.
The 171 people had been on a Diamond Princess cruise ship, which had been docked in Yokohama, Japan, since February 4. Passengers have been stuck on the ship while attempting to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
A joint statement by the base and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention says those with flu-like symptoms or who had tested positive for the virus were isolated on the flight and will not stay at the base.
Fourteen people on the flight had tested positive.
Travis Air Force Base says a second plane landed at Lackland Air Force base in Texas, where all passengers will be quarantined for two weeks.
The Department of Health and Human Services sent letters to passengers on February 8, urging them to stay in their cruise ship cabins and avoid coming within six feet of another person. As the number of infected people increased, the agency decided to evacuate passengers.
Though people who wished to stay had the option to do so, but the department warned that they would be unable to return to the United States ”for a period of time.”
An evacuation operation in China on February 5 brought 178 people to Travis Air Force Base. None of those passengers have tested positive.
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