Update 02/02/2020, 2:22 p.m.: The number of students who contacted the the university for late arrival accommodations was updated from nearly 30 to approximately 40.
A Stony Brook professor held up in China because of the coronavirus landed on a chartered flight in Southern California yesterday morning.
The professor, who was visiting family in Wuhan, where the epidemic originated, arrived on a plane evacuating about 200 U.S. citizens around 10:30 a.m. Federal health authorities have instructed them to remain at the air base for three days, until they’re cleared by the Centers for Disease Control.
All passengers on the plane underwent several medical screenings, and will be monitored for another two weeks by medical teams after their release to ensure they don’t become ill.
“It is welcome news to know that the U.S. State Department has worked diligently to bring the SBU professor back to the United States, and that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will ensure all Americans aboard the flight are guided through next steps to safeguard public health,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, who initially announced the professor’s delay on Jan. 26, said in a statement emailed to The Statesman.
Approximately 40 students, who have contacted the university to request late arrival accommodations and leaves of absence, are still in China.
