Coronavirus: US confirms 8th case of virus in person who travelled to China; Pentagon agrees to provide quarantine housing for up to 1,000 people
- Latest US patient, who was not identified, is in Massachusetts. The virus has so far resulted in 259 deaths in China, although none outside the country
- The Pentagon will provide housing support for people who may need to be quarantined
US health officials on Saturday confirmed an eighth case of the fast-spreading new coronavirus in the United States in a person who had travelled to China.
The latest US patient, who was not identified, is in Massachusetts, a spokeswoman for the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in an emailed statement. The person recently returned from Hubei province in central China, the epicentre of the outbreak. No other details were provided.
Also on Saturday, the Pentagon announced that it would provide housing for up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined after arriving from abroad due to the coronavirus.
It said that it had approved a request from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that asked the Pentagon to provide several facilities capable of “housing at least 250 people in individual rooms” until February 29.
The Pentagon said that Defence Department personnel would only provide housing support, while HHS would be responsible for all care and transportation.