The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will start entry health screening this week at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for the coronavirus.
The CDC's announcement came as it confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the United States -- in Washington state.
Coronaviruses are a type of virus that can cause respiratory illness and symptoms including fever, cough and trouble breathing, according to the CDC. Some patients have had milder illness while others have had severe illness, including reports in China of illness resulting in death, the CDC said.
The CDC started public health entry screening at San Francisco International, New York's John F. Kennedy International and Los Angeles International airports last week.
This week the CDC is adding entry health screening at the Atlanta airport and at Chicago O'Hare.
A spokeswoman for Hartsfield-Jackson International said the airport is working with its partners at U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the CDC.
The only nonstop route to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from China is a Delta Air Lines flight from Shanghai to Atlanta, a route the airline relaunched in 2018.
There are other flights from Asia to Atlanta that may have passengers connecting from China, including flights from Seoul and Tokyo.
More information from the CDC on the coronavirus:
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