Ventura County naval base could be used to quarantine coronavirus patients

Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu might be a landing spot for Americans suspected of being infected with the new strain of coronavirus.

Late Sunday night, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that the base could house travelers coming through Los Angeles International Airport. There, doctors would assess whether patients had contracted the COVID-19 virus, which has killed more than 2,600 people — mostly in China.

“The Department of Defense has made sites available around the country to house such travelers, and NBVC-Point Mugu was one site determined to be suitable for travelers requiring quarantine,” the department said in a statement.

“At this time, HHS is preparing this site should it be needed in the rapidly evolving public health response.”

An information session will be held at the Point Mugu theater at 6:30 p.m. Monday, according to the naval base’s official Twitter account.

Earlier this month, nearly 200 Americans were quarantined at a Riverside County military base for two weeks. They arrived at March Air Reserve Base on a chartered flight from China and, after all testing negative for the virus, were released Feb. 11.