Authorities assured residents Monday that Americans suspected of being infected with the new strain of coronavirus would only be quarantined at Naval Base Ventura County if they show no symptoms at the airport.
“Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper has tasked Naval Base Ventura County with supporting the potential repatriation of American citizens subject to federal quarantine due to the coronavirus,” Captain Jeff Chism said in a letter to sailors, employees and their families. “We will deliver our 100% support.”
Travelers arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from regions where COVID-19 is prevalent will be tested for the virus at the airport and then taken to a hospital if they show any symptoms, Naval Base Ventura County spokeswoman Melinda Larson said.
Those who show no symptoms would be quarantined for 14 days at the naval base at Point Mugu, where they would be confined and will not have contact with any personnel at the base, authorities said.
“We will assist HHS in an effective and dignified repatriation process while we ensure the safety and well-being of out residents and tenants— this is inherent in our mission,” Chism said.
The captain said a quarantine would mean changes to daily life around the base.
It’s unclear when the quarantine will go into effect.
Over 79,000 have been sickened by the new strain of coronavirus globally, and it has spread beyond its epicenter in China, sending officials scrambling to contain its spread after a recent surge in cases in Italy, Iran and North Korea.
There are 53 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nearly 200 people were quarantined at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County for 14 days earlier this month after they arrived on a chartered flight from China. They all tested negative for the coronavirus strain.