Coronavirus quarantine zone at JBSA-Lackland extended per Department of Defense

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Department of Defense has announced Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s coronavirus quarantine zone will remain available to patients through mid-March, according to San Antonio's KSAT.

The DOD made the announcement Saturday and said the other three quarantine zones, including Travis Air Force Base in California, Fort Carson in Colorado and the Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California, will also be available through March 15th.

This comes after the U.S. announced Americans on the Diamond Princess cruise ship are expected to come to San Antonio for a 14-day coronavirus quarantine. 

The Department of Health and Human Services says they are in support of U.S. citizens returning from Japan that are currently aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

In part, DHHS says the U.S. government, “recommends that U.S. citizens disembark and return to the United States for further monitoring" to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.

A total of 400 U.S. citizens are on board the cruise ship and those that return to the U.S. will be required to undergo a 14-day federal quarantine, according to DHHS.

It’s currently unknown how many of these passengers will come to San Antonio or when they will arrive. Officials say passengers will be monitored during the flight to TAFB, where they will be screened for the novel coronavirus, officials say.

Any of those passengers that are taken to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland will be monitored again during that flight as well and will be screened upon arriving in Texas, according to DHHS.

The DOD says through the extended availability of the four quarantine housing facilities, it will also provide equipment for “passenger and cargo handling, a facility for briefing passengers, office space for 50 HHS personnel and equipment and linens and bedding as available."

DHHS will provide and arrange custodial services and grounds maintenance, according to the DOD.