CDC quarantines 195 U.S. citizens returning from Wuhan

An airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, lands at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. Jan. 29, 2020. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has placed 195 U.S. citizens under quarantine after being repatriated from Wuhan, China to the U.S., following the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The quarantine will last for 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan city. The individuals will be housed at the March Air Reserve Base in Ontario, California. Medical staff will monitor the health of all the travelers, especially observing for respiratory symptoms.

The quarantine comes a day after the U.S. State Department issues a warning against travel to China due to the outbreak, which has taken scores of lives.

In a statement, the CDC says that the legal order is part of a public health response which is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus in the U.S. The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of International Concern on Thursday.

The CDC adds that the investigation into the outbreak is ongoing.