What started as a localized health warning has quickly grown into a possible global epidemic.
After initial reports of limited exposure to the CoronaVirus came out of China, new reports suggest massive quarantines and now at least one Republican is suggesting a travel ban to prevent the virus from spreading further.
Lock It Down
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) is now asking the Trump administration to shut down travel to China.
He sent a letter to Trump, stating, “I write to urge you to implement a targeted travel ban on China to protect America from the Wuhan coronavirus.
“Given the last developments and the many unknowns about this virus, we ought to follow Benjamin Franklin’s maxim: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of care.”
The concern is legitimate, as videos are starting to blow up on YouTube of private citizens telling the “truth” about the virus.
In addition to asking for the travel ban, Cotton has also asked the administration to “marshal the full resources of the federal government to engineer a vaccine for the virus.”
Americans Evacuated
The situation has become serious enough that many Americans were recently evacuated from China.
When the plane landed in California, it made national news.
In all, 201 Americans, including State Department employees, were evacuated from Wuhan.
After a brief stop in Alaska, the plane then traveled to a military base in California.
According to reports, the passengers all passed two screenings in China as well as two more screenings once the plan landed in Alaska.
While in California, they will be temporarily quarantined while they undergo further testing to ensure they have not been exposed to the virus.
The CDC stated, “Our primary objective is to facilitate the safe return of these Americans while protecting the public’s health.”
While China has continued to minimize the story, the virus is believed to have infected more than 6,000 people, with at least 132 deaths already linked to the coronavirus.