New Jersey health officials investigate possible coronavirus infection

Posted: Jan 27, 2020 7:11 PM hdB
Updated: Jan 27, 2020 11:05 PM hdB

State health officials are trying to determine if someone in New Jersey has been infected with the coronavirus.

A spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Health says that one person is under investigation, with test results pending from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

New Jersey health officials say that they are prepared for the possibility of the virus coming to the Garden State. New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli has issued guidelines for identifying and evaluating patients who could potentially have the illness to hospitals around the state.

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A strain of coronavirus that originated in China has caused dozens of deaths and sickened thousands, mostly in China. There are at least three confirmed cases of the illness in the United States.

Chinese officials are trying to quell the outbreak. The country has cut transportation in several cities in Hubei province and is requiring some travelers to quarantine themselves. France, Japan and the United States are trying to arrange charter flights to help citizens leave Wuhan – the city where the outbreak began last month.

At least five airports in the United States are testing passengers who have come from China to make sure that they do not have the disease. Newark Liberty International Airport is not one of them, but Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez have called for New Jersey to be included in the screening.

The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.