RIVERSIDE — Three large tents were erected on the tarmac of March Air Reserve Base — where 195 coronavirus evacuees remained under federal quarantine orders — as a precaution in case additional planes carrying passengers who need medical screening are unexpectedly rerouted to the base, officials said Sunday.
The tents were set up to meet a request from federal officials to provide enough housing at the facility for at least 250 more people in individual rooms in case a plane carrying passengers who need to be medically screened is temporarily diverted to March ARB, such as in the case of bad weather or for refueling, according to Brooke Federico, a public information officer for Riverside County’s County Executive Office.
“Because of the time involved in constructing the tents, officials decided to have them in place in case any planes were unexpectedly diverted to March (ARB),” Federico said.
Just a reminder: Riverside County has NO confirmed cases of #coronavirus at this time. Continue about your daily routine. Wash hands frequently and stay home if you’re sick. #rivconow #ruhealth
— Dr. Cameron Kaiser (@RivCoDoc) February 3, 2020
News of the tents came as officials said three more cases of coronavirus had been confirmed in California’s Santa Clara and San Benito counties. Eleven U.S. cases have now been confirmed.
PRESS RELEASE: Six cases of novel #coronavirus have been confirmed in California. As said by @CDPHDirector and State Public Health Officer Dr. Sonia Angell, the risk to the general public remains low. Read the release here: https://t.co/IiC2Fwl5X3#nCoV2019 #NovelCoronavirus
— CA Public Health (@CAPublicHealth) February 3, 2020