San Diego County officials say that ``out of an abundance of caution,'' the county is declaring a local public health emergency in response to concerns about the coronavirus, or COVID-19.
There are still only two confirmed cases of the illness in San Diego County, and officials say the declaration is NOT an indication of an increased risk of the virus, only a move to ensure the county has all available resources to respond to the disease. The declaration takes effect immediately and lasts for seven days, but the Board of Supervisors will hold a special meeting Wednesday to extend the declaration for 30 days.
The county's public health agency says two patients with the coronavirus are in either good or fair condition at the U-C San Diego Medical Center, with five other people being evaluated. All seven of these people are among the Americans who were flown from China and placed in quarantine at MCAS Miramar last week. Two other people in the custody of immigration officials are hospitalized in San Diego with possible symptoms.
Learn more about the virus HERE at the San Diego County Health and Human Services website.