California Authorities Now Monitoring 8,400 Citizens for Coronavirus

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said that the deadly and novel COVID-19 strain of coronavirus will inevitably “spread” within the United States, prompting a great deal of concern among Americans.

Democratic lawmakers used this opportunity as an attempt to shame President Trump, insinuating that his administration has somehow been negligent in their duty to quell the spread of this virus.  Trump has rebuked those criticisms, however, declaring on several occasions that the virus is “under the control” here in the US, and then appointing Vice President Mike Pence as the point-man for the American quarantine effort.

So far, cases of COVID-19 have been few and far between in America, but the latest news out of California could be an indicator of what’s still to come.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that 33 people have tested positive for COVID-19 and the state is currently monitoring at least 8,400 others —a day after U.S. health officials confirmed the first possible community transmission of the coronavirus in a Solano County resident.

“This is a fluid situation right now and I want to emphaize the risk to the American public remains low,” said Dr. Sonia Y. Angell, California Department of Public Health Director and State Health Officer during a press conference. “There have been a limited number of confirmed cases to date.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn’t know exactly how the new California patient, who’s receiving medical care in Sacramento County, contracted the virus. The patient didn’t have a relevant travel history or exposure to another patient with the virus, the CDC said Wednesday.

California health officials said the patient wasn’t under quarantine before her diagnosis and was out and about in her community.

The virus has displayed a fourteen-day incubation period in previous cases, making it extremely difficult to contain thus far.

In China, the official death total stands well over 2,000 people, with a great many skeptics concerned that Beijing is somehow fudging these numbers.