DALLAS (NBC DFW) - A Texas military base was one of four sites approved Saturday by Defense Secretary Mark Esper after a request from the Department of Health and Human Services to accommodate 1,000 people who may have to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas due to a new virus.
Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and the other military bases will house up to 250 people in individual rooms until Feb. 29. HHS would be responsible for all care, transportation, and security of the evacuees, according to the statement.
The other three installations selected by the Defense Department are the 168th Regiment, Regional Training Institute, Fort Carson, Colorado; Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, California; Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California.
The viral outbreak began in China, where the death toll rose to 259 on Saturday. More than 11,900 people have been infected with the coronavirus globally, the vast majority of them on the Chinese mainland.
An order signed Friday by President Donald Trump temporarily bars entry to foreign nationals who have traveled to China within the last 14 days, with the exception of immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country but will face screening at select ports of entry and be required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk.
Read more from our media partners at NBC DFW here.
