Number being monitored in Nassau County for coronavirus drops

There were 78 people in a voluntary quarantine on Nassau County by Thursday morning, down five overnight after they were deemed to be free of the virus, according to health officials.

Those being watched had traveled to China or had contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. They will spend 14 days in quarantine.

"Most of them are in their own homes," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran during FOX 5 NY morning program, 'Good Day NY.'  "They have procedures and protocols that they're following when it comes to dealing with their own family and if they can go outside."

The self-quarantines were being done out of an abundance of caution.

"We check in with them every day for their temperature, said Nassau County Health Commissioner Lawrence Eisenstein.  "We deliver a thermometer to them if they don't have one handy. We take care of making sure they do that. They are in communication with us and we are communicating with them." 

>NASSAU COUNTY ISSUES HEALTH ADVISORY

There are no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, in Nassau County.

On Thursday, Curran announced that one resident who was being tested for the virus had tested negative.

"To date, Nassau County has tested six individuals for the virus and all six have tested negative," said Curran.

Federal and state health officials have notified Nassau County of 320 people who had traveled to mainland China and arrived in the county since monitoring of the virus began.

Of those flagged, 175 had experienced some symptoms while they were removed from public contact. That number was down to 78 on Thursday.

"So far our residents have done very well," said Eisenstein.

State and federal agencies are working with Nassau County to monitor the spread of the virus.

Visit CDC.gov for more information on the coronavirus.

>CORONAVIRUS LIKELY TO SPREAD IN U.S

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