A northwest Indiana couple has decided to voluntarily quarantine themselves out of an abundance of caution after returning from China amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Ken Zurek, of Highland, and his wife recently visited the city of Chongqing, which is about 500 miles from Wuhan - the center of the outbreak. Although the couple didn't visit that city, they decided to err on the side of caution and quarantine themselves for 14 days.
United States officials announced Friday that Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry. Those returning from Wuhan will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine.
The virus has killed at least 259 people in China and infected nearly 11,800 people.
Zurek said in an interview that he was relieved to hear the U.S. government was taking a stronger approach to combat the virus than the one he encountered at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport earlier in the week.
"I saw no one taking temperatures," he said. "...All I saw were people with their luggage walking out the door. No one stopped us or looked at us."
Local
The State Department has issued a warning alerting Americans not to travel to China as a result of the outbreak. Major airlines including Delta, American and United have canceled all flights to mainland China until further notice.
