9 Additional Coronavirus Quarantine Locations in the USA

The Defense Department is expected to enable the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the use of 9 additional military bases in the USA as quarantine facilities.

This announcement follows previous HHS disclosures that certain military bases located in the USA are being utilized as ‘quarantine facilities related to the coronavirus 2019-nCoV outbreak.’

According to statements by Defense Secretary Mark Esper on February 6, 2020, these military bases could house additional passengers coming from China ‘should (the existing) HHS facilities become filled,’ reported military.com.

The Pentagon stressed that these new locations have been named as ‘precautionary backup locations.’ Federal isolation and quarantine programs are authorized by an Executive Order of the President.

The proposed quarantine installations are as follows:

• Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii
• Great Lakes Training Center Navy Base, Illinois
• Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas
• Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia
• Fort Hamilton, New York
• Naval Base Kitsap, Washington
• Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.
• Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey
• Fort Custer Training Center, Michigan

March Air Reserve Base and Travis Air Force Base, California, Fort Carson in Colorado; Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and most recently, Camp Ashland in Nebraska, are the current principal installations to quarantine and treat people.

"Under the HHS request, support at each location will be limited to providing housing support for up to 20 people as they undergo a period of quarantined observation," the Pentagon said of the newly announced installations.

According to the Pentagon on February 3, 2020, military and DoD personnel cannot be in direct contact with evacuees. The same policy applies to all bases being used for the quarantine effort.

HHS continues to be responsible for all care, transportation, and security of these evacuees.

Previously, Acting Homeland Secretary Chad F. Wolf directed all flights from China and all passengers who have traveled to China within the last 14 days to be routed through 11 U.S. airports.

At these airports, enhanced screening procedures and the capacity to quarantine passengers were established.

As an example of a use case, an individual in New Jersey was the 1st air passenger to be placed under mandatory quarantine over coronavirus concerns at Newark Liberty airport, which is 1 of the 11 designated landing locations for China flights.

The person, who is asymptomatic, traveled from China to Newark Liberty International Airport.

“While the individual did not present any symptoms, they were in Hubei Province on February 4 and therefore were issued a 14-day quarantine order,” said Nicole Kirgan, a spokesperson for the NJ health department. 

“The individual, who is not a New Jersey resident, was transported to a location in Essex County, and the New Jersey Department of Health will monitor the individual for symptoms.”

Coronavirus outbreak travel news published by Vax-Before-Travel.