City of Milwaukee monitoring 4 people for possible exposure to coronavirus after visiting China

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Four people in the City of Milwaukee are under voluntary quarantine after visiting affected areas of the coronavirus in China, the health department announced Friday, Feb. 28. 

“This is a time for our residents and citizens to take whatever actions they can to prepare themselves," Mayor Tom Barrett said.

Barrett said no one is under investigation in the city. 

Milwaukee Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik says it's as a precaution. 

"Currently we're only monitoring travelers from China, per the CDC, and the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommendations," Kowalik said.

There are now more than 84,000 confirmed global cases of the Coronavirus, or COVID-19.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the virus has spread to more than 50 locations.

In the United States, there are more than 60 confirmed cases.

Health Commissioner Jeanette Kowalik and Mayor Barrett held a briefing on Friday. They said the Milwaukee Health Department is in regular contact with state and federal health officials. 

And testing may soon happen in Milwaukee in connection with the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene.

"As you may know, the health department has a lab, so we're preparing to have the ability to be able to test COVID-19 samples for diagnostic purposes only," she said.

Watch the entire news conference here: