The United States government on Friday January 31, declared coronavirus a health emergency and also barred foreign nationals that recently visited China from entering the country.
Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services also announced that U.S. citizens who have traveled within the past two weeks to China’s Hubei Province – epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic will undergo a mandatory quarantine of 14 days, the incubation period of the virus.
The temporary measure which will be effected from February 2, will also see Americans who visited other parts of mainland China undergo special health screening upon their return, followed by up to 14 days of “monitored self-quarantine” under the temporary restrictions.
Azar said “Following the World Health Organization decision, I have today declared that the coronavirus represents a public health emergency in the United States. The risk of infection for Americans remains low and with these, and our previous, actions we are working to keep the risk low.”