NORTH BEND, Wash. — A federal quarantine site for travelers coming from China has been created at a facility in King County.
The site is located in a remote location east of North Bend, and it was created for those who visited the Hubei Province in China who are not showing any symptoms and are unable to self-quarantine.
The novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in Hubei Province.
No patients are currently housed at the facility.
Residents in North Bend are slightly wary of the proximity of the quarantine site to their city.
"Everybody seems to be scared,” said Brandi Haave, a server at Twede's Cafe.. "It is a little frightening, but then I feel like it is enough out of town."
"We want to be aware of it, know that it is there,” said Carol Nicholas, who has family that lives in the North Bend area. “I'm not afraid. I’m not overly concerned with it, but I am glad that they are being vigilant and there are places that they can be taken care of."
So far around the country, there have been four other quarantine sites -- all military bases. Those bases are in California, Texas, and Colorado, according to The New York Times.
President Donald Trump's administration ordered that as of Sunday afternoon, any American citizen who in the last two weeks had visited the Hubei province was subject to a quarantine of up to 14 days upon arrival in the U.S.
King and Snohomish counties have been thrust into the national spotlight as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world.
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport became one of 11 airports in the country that will screen passengers coming in from China for coronavirus.
The first case of the coronavirus in the United States was confirmed in a Snohomish County man several weeks ago. He has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.
The current risk of 2019 novel coronavirus to the general public remains low at this time in the United States and Washington state.
