CDC Now Screening For Coronavirus At Miami International Airport
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Miami International Airport has joined the growing list of airports and ports who are now prepared to screen certain passengers for coronavirus.
The quarantine station in Terminal D is staffed by the Centers for Disease Control employees.
According to the latest CDC update, "the CDC is monitoring for illness among travelers and providing educational materials for any travelers arriving in the United States from China at 20 U.S. airports with quarantine stations in the United States."
"U.S. Quarantine Stations are part of a comprehensive system that serves to limit the introduction and spread of contagious diseases in the United States. They are located at 20 ports of entry and land-border crossings, including MIA, where most international travelers arrive," according to a statement from Miami International Airport.
Officials at MIA say it is a precautionary measure.
On Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis said that the coronavirus has not been found in any people who have traveled to Florida recently from Wuhan, the area of China where an outbreak of the respiratory illness began.
As of Wednesday, there were 6,061 confirmed cases of the virus in mainland China, including 132 deaths, according to Chinese officials. The number of cases grew by around 1,500 from Tuesday, a more than 30% increase.
The CDC website said five cases of the illness had been found in the United States, 32 people had tested negative and 73 results were pending. The states with confirmed cases were California, Illinois, Washington, and Arizona.
Both American Airlines and United Airlines have suspended some of their flights to China as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread and shrinks demand. Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and Austrian Airlines said they are monitoring developments but continue to fly to China.
People traveling to the U.S. on direct and connecting flights from Wuhan are now being diverted to five locations for screening: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
CBS News has reported that the White House is considering a suspension of all flights between the US and China, but no final decision has been made.
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