Health worker screening LAX passengers tests positive for coronavirus, officials say

A health worker who screened passengers at Los Angeles International Airport has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The worker for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last screened passengers on Feb. 21 and wore “proper protective gear while working,” DHS officials told NBC News.

“Late last night, DHS headquarters was alerted to a situation where one of our contracted medical professionals conducting screenings at LAX international airport had tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus,” DHS state in a statement to the outlet. “This individual is currently under self-quarantine at home with mild symptoms and under medical supervision. Their immediate family is also under home quarantine.”

The person began showing “cold-like symptoms” and “took necessary protections on the job,” DHS told ABC7.

“As soon as the individual began to feel sick, they self-quarantined, saw a physician, and reported to the appropriate authorities and officials,” DHS spokesperson Heather Swift told ABC.

Los Angeles County declared a national health emergency early Wednesday after six new cases were reported, giving California 51 cases, the most of any state in the U.S.

Later Wednesday, the first person to die from the virus in California was announced by Placer County public health officials, according to The Los Angeles Times. The elderly person died from the virus after returning from a cruise last month, prompting California to declare a state of emergency.

More than 95,000 people have been infected and more than 3,200 have died worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.

This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 8:40 PM with the headline "Health worker screening LAX passengers tests positive for coronavirus, officials say."