More Americans to be evacuated from China amid coronavirus outbreak: officials

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More Americans will reportedly be evacuated from China amid the deadly outbreak of novel coronavirus that’s killed some 361 people and sickened more than 17,000 worldwide.

During a Monday telebriefing, Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, which is a part of the CDC, said the U.S. is planning to evacuate additional Americans from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. Though she did not clarify when the evacuations may occur, a statement from the Department of State released last week said the evacuations could commence “on or about February 3, 2020.”

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Any U.S. citizens who are evacuated will be asked to reimburse the Department of State for the flight, according to the statement. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also commented on the additional evacuations, saying the U.S. is working with Beijing officials to coordinate the flights, which reportedly may include citizens from other countries, The New York Times reported. The flights may also be used to deliver medical supplies to Wuhan, which is facing a shortage.

Not unlike the 195 Americans who were evacuated from the city last week, any additional evacuees will also be subject to a 14-day quarantine where they will be continually monitored for symptoms of coronavirus, which have largely been reported to include fever, shortness of breath and cough, Messonnier said.

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The first passengers to be evacuated landed in California last week after briefly stopping to refuel in Alaska. The plane was scheduled to arrive at Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County before it was diverted to the airbase in Riverside County for “the logistics that they have," officials said at the time.

Currently, there are six cases of the novel coronavirus in California, one in Arizona, one in Washington state, one in Massachusetts and two in Illinois. No deaths have been reported in the U.S. and the large majority of cases still remain in China.