Latest coronavirus case in US confirmed as killer bug continues to spread across entire country
THE latest coronavirus case in the United States has been confirmed as the killer bug continues to spread across the entire country.
A man who recently traveled to Wuhan, China, is the eighth American to be struck down with the deadly coronavirus.
Health officials said the man – who’s in his 20s and from Boston – was returning to Massachusetts from the epicentre of the killer outbreak and is now in isolation.
A news release from Gov. Charlie Baker’s office said he will remain in isolation until he is cleared by public health bosses.
His “few close contacts” are being monitored for symptoms, the release confirmed.
Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel said: “We are grateful that this young man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately.
“Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly. Again, the risk to the public from the 2019 novel coronavirus remains low in Massachusetts.”
It comes after officials yesterday confirmed another case of the virus in Santa Clara County, California as the death toll soars to 259.
Meanwhile, the baby grandson of a Chicago man who was diagnosed with the virus is also being tested.
The baby was taken to an area hospital after developing a fever.
The baby’s grandfather contracted the virus from his wife, marking the first person-to-person spread of the illness.
The couple, who haven’t been identified, are being kept in isolation in a Chicago hospital.
In total, the US has eight confirmed cases -one in Massachusetts, two in Illinois, three in California, one in Washington, and one in Arizona.
The White House has issued a public health emergency which will see some citizens quarantined and foreign travelers denied entry to the U.S. as more than 2,000 new coronavirus cases were confirmed.
Donald Trump’s administration had been reportedly considering the travel ban before declaring the emergency at a press briefing on Friday.
The new procedures ban foreign nationals who’ve traveled to China within the last two weeks from entering the U.S.
Citizens who’ve visited the province that’s considered the virus’ epicenter are set to be quarantined for up to two weeks, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.
This is to ensure “they’re provided proper medical care and health screening,” Azar said, describing the measures as “appropriate” steps.
The World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Thursday – after the number of confirmed cases in China rose to 11,791, surpassing SARS.
State Department travel advisory: Do Not Travel to China
The U.S. government is warning Americans to avoid traveling to China amid the Coronavirus outbreak.
- Do not travel to China due to novel Coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China.
- On January 30, the World Health Organization has determined the rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
- Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China.
- Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means.
- The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel Coronavirus.
- In an effort to contain the novel Coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have suspended air, road, and rail travel in the area around Wuhan and placed restrictions on travel and other activities throughout the country.
- On January 23, 2020, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members from Wuhan.
- The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Hubei province.
There were around 8,100 cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) reported during the outbreak between 2002 and 2003.
The number of people affected by the new coronavirus, which emerged in China in December, has risen around ten times quicker than with SARS.
WHO representative in Beijing, Gauden Galea, warned: “Countries need to get ready for possible importation in order to identify cases as early as possible and in order to be ready for a domestic outbreak control, if that happens.”
On Sunday, the US will begin to direct flights from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for sickness. Those returning from Hubei – the Central Chinese province at the epicenter of the outbreak – will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.
British Airways, Finnair and Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific have canceled or reduced service to mainland China.
MOST READ IN NEWS
Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have temporarily suspended all US flights to China.
The coronavirus has spread to Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, the US, and Vietnam.
Do you have a story for The US Sun team?
Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552.