Sea-Tac will stop, screen travelers coming from China who appear sick

Sea-Tac Airport is one of 20 airports in the U.S. that is boosting its coronavirus screening.

Travelers coming from China who appear sick will be quarantined at the airport.

Doctor Nancy Messonnier with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the update Tuesday. She says all airports that have quarantine stations will have added measures for coronavirus.

"Regular activities at quarantine stations focus on identifying ill patients, and that's what we're going to be doing here," she says. "Identifying ill travelers returning from China so that we can make sure that they're appropriately treated so that they don't pass on this illness to others."

The CDC continues to monitor for new cases and has tested more than 160 people in the U.S.

At Sea-Tac, all travelers coming from China may be asked questions, and they'll be given materials about what coronavirus symptoms to look for.

Health officials maintain that the risk to the public is low, but they're taking precaution so cases don't spread.

There is still one case of coronavirus in Snohomish County; 16 other people have been tested in Washington state. Eight of them are awaiting results, as of Wednesday morning, and seven are negative for the illness (including two University of Washington students who were tested).