A medical professional contracted to screen passengers traveling through Los Angeles International Airport last month tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday.
The case was one of six newly confirmed cases that led Los Angeles County to declare a local state of emergency Wednesday after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases jumped from one to seven in 48 hours.
The state of emergency will allow the county, the most populous in the nation with ten million residents, to access extra federal and state funding to aid in the containment of current cases and prevent any further outbreak.
The airport screener is said to have mild symptoms and is quarantined at home.
People wear face masks at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) where a medical professional who screened passengers for the coronavirus has now tested positive
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti speaks during a Los Angeles County Health Department press conference on the novel coronavirus on Wednesday declaring a state of emergency
Los Angeles County, the country’s most populous county with ten million residents, declared a local state of emergency on Wednesday amid coronavirus concerns and an increase in cases
The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday the worker had last screened travelers traveling through Tom Bradley International Terminal for the virus on February 21 and had worn the correct protective clothing.
Several direct flights from China arrived to the terminal between February 12 and February 21.
Symptoms did not appear until a week after the person’s final shift. The individual began to show symptoms on Saturday and presented themselves to a Primary Care Doctor on Sunday.
‘DHS is happy to report that this individual was highly trained and did everything right both on the job and when they began to feel sick,’ the DHS said.
‘We are told the individual wore all the correct protective equipment and took necessary protections on the job. Additionally, as soon as the individual began to feel sick, they self-quarantined, saw a physician, and reported to the appropriate authorities and officials.’
The individual and their family is under quarantine in their home. The patient is under medical supervision but symptoms are mild.
The DHS is now working to establish the person’s contacts and communicating wit their co-workers.
‘At this time we do not know if this case is a result from community spread or through their work as a medical screener,’ DHS said.
‘There have been no positive COVID-19 detections reported from the LAX screened travelers. This is an evolving situation that the CDC, DHS and county public health officials continue to examine.’
A coronavirus screener who worked at LAX tested positive for the virus on Tuesday
The individual worked at Tom Bradley International Terminal and screened international passengers for the virus on February 21. They had worn the correct protective clothing
On Wednesday Kathryn Barger, chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, confirmed she signed a proclamation declaring a state of emergency in the county.
‘I want to reiterate that this is not a response rooted in panic,’ she said.
The move came after Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the city had also declared a state of emergency.
‘While there are only a few known active COVID-19 cases in the region, the declaration helps us access state and federal funding to strengthen and support our efforts to prepare our region and keep our communities safe,’ he said.
California has treated 51 people for the coronavirus, the most in any state.
In Washington, where ten of the first eleven deaths were registered, 27 patients have been treated.
The six new cases in LA County are linked to an ‘an assumed known exposure’ and health officials are preparing for more cases.
‘We will ensure that people who test positive for the novel coronavirus and their close contacts are quickly identified and closely monitor and supported while they are in isolation and/or quarantined,’ said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, director of the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department.
The news came as the first death in California death was reported. This was the first of the eleven national deaths confirmed so far to be registered outside of Washington and the Seattle area.
The first death in California was in Placer County. She was an elderly adult with underlying respiratory issues and had been a passenger on the Diamond Princess Cruise ship.
Los Angeles County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer (L) and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (R) Wednesday before a local state of emergency was declared for LA county
Tents of the homeless line a streetcorner in Los Angeles County where the number of coronavirus cases jumped from one to seven in 48 hours and sparked a state of emergency
The sleeping area of A Bridge Home interim housing for the homeless in Los Angeles
Concerns are rising for the homeless population in both Southern California and King County, Washington, as numbers diagnosed in both areas begin to quickly rise.
In Los Angeles County, Dr. Ferrer said that officials are working with agencies who aid the homeless to establish a plan if the outbreak should worsen.
In 2019, homelessness in the county was up by 12 percent, according to the New York Times, with a population over 58,000. Los Angeles city’s homeless population stood at 36,000 as of June 2019.
Concerns are also growing for the homeless population in King County, Washington, which has the third highest number of homeless in the country and is currently looking to set up isolation units to prevent further spread.
Nine coronavirus deaths occurred in the county as of Wednesday afternoon.
County officials are said to be in ‘final negotiations’ to purchase an undisclosed motel to establish isolation units and they will also utilize unused modular housing units previously purchased to house the homeless.
King County Executive Dow Constantine told King5.com the motel would be used for those needing isolation and recovery. The purchase is expected to be finalized by the end of the week.
As of 2019 survey, 27% of the homeless population in Seattle identified as having a chronic health condition, a factor that will put them more at risk of the coronavirus
A person walks along a street near the Union Gospel Mission in the Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle. There are around 5,000 homeless in King County
Makeshift tent encampments sit under a highway in Seattle, Washington, as concerns grow about the homeless population amid the worsening coronavirus outbreak
‘We have moved to a new stage in the fight to contain and mitigate this outbreak. King County is aligned and organized behind this common mission, with Public Health – Seattle & King County as our lead agency,’ Executive Constantine said.
The county already owns 14 modular housing units which will be used to isolate patients who do not have a home address.
‘Many of us can shelter in place, we can go home, we can even work remotely,’ Constantine told the Seattle Times.
‘That is not an option for people who are unhoused.’
The homeless population in King County numbered at 5,000 as of 2019.
The homeless are considered at higher risk to the coronavirus as many also suffer from chronic health conditions.
As of a 2019 survey, 27% of the homeless population identified as such.
The homeless also don’t have ready access to facilities to engage in proper hygiene practices.
Seattle’s Navigation Team, a group of police officers and city staff charged with removing encampments and getting people into shelter, said Tuesday it was sharing hygiene guidelines and kits with the homeless.
On Monday, the city’s homeless shelters were close to full, the Seattle Times reported.
The city with the highest homeless population is New York where cases also spiked to six on Wednesday.
There the homeless population is more then 78,000.