Travelers arriving from China will be screened for coronavirus at Newark Liberty Int'l Airport

Travelers arriving in New Jersey from China will now be screened for the coronavirus at Newark Liberty International Airport, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.

News 12 Staff

Jan 29, 2020, 3:02 PM

Updated 1,772 days ago

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Travelers arriving in New Jersey from China will now be screened for the coronavirus at Newark Liberty International Airport, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced.
Health officials around the world say that they are getting prepared for potential outbreaks of the virus, which has killed 132 people in China. More than 6,100 cases of the virus have been confirmed around the world. Over 90 of those cases are outside of China, including five in the United States.
The spread of the virus has impacted some air travel. United and American airlines have canceled some flights to China due to a sharp drop off in travel to the country since the outbreak began.
Gov. Phil Murphy and other state officials said Wednesday that the health facilities around the state are on alert and prepared for potential cases of the virus.
“We will continue our close partnership with both the CDC and other appropriate federal agencies to expedite testing of any potential coronavirus cases,” Murphy said. “Let me reiterate, unequivocally, there are currently no potential cases of coronavirus pending.”
The New Jersey Department of Health has set up a hotline for concerned New Jersey residents to call to get more information about the virus and what health officials are doing to prepare. That hotline is 1-800-222-1222.
“To ensure the public has access to factual information, and to alleviate fears and dispel rumors, we have opened a call center,” says New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “This free hotline is available 24 hours a day and is staffed by trained professionals who can accommodate callers in multiple languages.”
Officials say that all five of the people infected with coronavirus in the United States had traveled to China.