11 cases of coronavirus confirmed in U.S. as worldwide numbers grow

Reporter: Sydney Persing
Published: Updated:
Credit: Getty Images via CBS News.

Three more cases of the new coronavirus were confirmed in the U.S. on Sunday, all in California, bringing the total number of people in the country with the disease to 11. The weekend also saw the first death blamed on the flu-like illness outside of China.

As of Monday morning there were at least 17,205 confirmed cases in more than two dozen countries, the vast majority of them in China, according to the World Health Organization. There have been 361 deaths, all of them in China except for one confirmed in the Philippines over the weekend.

U.S. officials declared a public health emergency last week and, as a result, foreign nationals who have traveled to China in the last two weeks and aren’t immediate family members of U.S. citizens or permanent residents will be temporarily banned from entering the U.S. Under the orders of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, anyone entering the U.S. who has been in China’s Hubei province in the last two weeks will be subject to a two-week quarantine.

The first 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, are under federal quarantine and will remain at a military base in Southern California until mid-February. The government hasn’t issued such a quarantine order in more than 50 years.

The State Department has warned Americans to avoid all travel to China due to the “rapidly spreading” outbreak. The decision came after the WHO designated the outbreak a global public health emergency.

As of Sunday, the flu-like virus had killed at least 304 people, all of them in China, according to the WHO.

Virus also causing financial crisis

Coronavirus is not only causing a health emergency across the globe, but it’s also causing a financial crisis as well.

The Chinese stock market dropped sharply upon opening Monday, although markets in SWFL did well.

It’s even taking a toll on Mickey Mouse. The gates to Disneyland Hong Kong are padlocked.

Even Apple closed its stores in mainland China.

All closed because people are being told to stay in their homes for fear of the virus spreading.

With this, the prices of goods here could climb higher, not because of changes in our economy, but because of what’s happening in China.

FGCU economics professor Victor Claar points to travel and trade disruptions caused by the coronavirus.

Several manufacturers have had to slow or stop operations, and when that happens, that can be really disruptive to our supply chain. That means the virus’ affect on China very well could affect the price of goods here, like the price of a brand new computer or even the price of a brand new home!

Claar says technology and construction supply prices are the most likely to rise.

So as you keep an eye on the virus, you might also need to decide whether now is the right time to buy.

“You’d be hard-pressed to find some firm, some company, even services industries that aren’t relying on inputs from abroad,” Claar said.

Many companies are having employees work from home, when possible. Google, Amazon and Microsoft have all temporarily closed or limited operations in China, while several carmakers have closed plants in China.

-Sydney Persing, WINK News

China set to open speed-built hospital

China is set to open a new hospital in the city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak, BBC News reported.

Wuhan’s 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital, built in just eight days, is one of two dedicated facilities being constructed to help tackle the outbreak.

2 new cases confirmed in San Benito County, California

Two new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in San Benito County, California, the county public health department said.

Health officials told CBS San Francisco the new two people were a husband and wife have also tested positive for the illness. Of more concern was that health officials said the husband, who had recently returned from Wuhan, had infected his wife with the disease.

“We continue to monitor the situation closely to protect the health of San Benito County residents and limit the spread of this virus,” said Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, San Benito County Health Officer. “We are working closely with Bay Area health officials, local health care providers and community partners.”

CBS News has obtained 11-page TSA document sent to airlines outlining their responsibilities

CBS News has obtained the 11-page document the TSA gave to airlines to outline how to carry out the U.S. federal government’s travel restrictions. “As partners in ensuring the highest level of aviation security, we must continue to work together,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske wrote in the two-page cover letter.

The TSA instructed airlines not allow “alien persons” — foreign nationals lacking permanent resident or a handful of other exempted immigration statuses — to board a flight to the United States if the person has been to mainland China, excluding Hong Kong and Macau, in the last 14 days. The order does not apply to U.S. citizens with a U.S. passport, permanent residents, crewmembers and a handful of other exempted foreign nationals.

For airlines flying into the U.S. from an international destination with a U.S. Citizen (or other allowed person) who has visited or passed through mainland China in the last 14 days, the airline “must ensure person only travels to the United States on a flight to” New York-JFK, Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Los Angeles International, San Francisco International, Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. As of 5:30 p.m. Sunday, DFW in Dallas, DTW Detroit, Newark Airport and Washington Dulles were added.

Crew members are exempt from that requirement.

Airlines “must question each passenger” to determine whether the individual has traveled to mainland China. If the airline cannot determine if the passenger visited China they are instructed to “examine the individuals passport for entry and/or exit stamp” or “examine the individual’s Passenger Name Record” (PNR).

Airline sources tell CBS News they worry the order could create a logistical nightmare trying to get affected flyers for an international destination to one of those select airports. Sources also bristled at the decision to require the airlines to search flyers passports.

Additionally, some sources pointed out that if the passenger flew from China to another country on an airline and then to the U.S. on a different airline, their previous flight history may not be searchable by the airline.

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