Supervisor Donald P. Wagner Works With Local Officials To Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus

(Santa Ana, Calif) — The court temporarily blocked the U.S. government from sending up to 50 previously quarantined people, who tested positive for COVID-19, to the Fairview Developmental Center. The people were first sequestered on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, then taken to Travis Air Force Base in Northern California.

Supervisor Donald P. Wagner is working with local officials to prevent what is happening in China from mushrooming in Orange County:

"I applaud the County, my colleagues and the City of Costa Mesa for trying to block the use of local facilities to house infected individuals. While we want to treat those infected humanely, we must also protect the public's health," said Supervisor Wagner. "It does no good to spread this contagious virus around in uninfected locales; we must act intelligently to prevent a senseless outbreak locally," said Wagner.

The virus has infected nearly 78,000 people across the globe, in 29 countries, resulting in over 2,300 deaths.

Costa Mesa city officials sought court intervention swiftly after learning from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services that U.S. officials planned to start moving patients to the 109-acre facility known as the Fairview Developmental Center.

The state-owned facility currently sits empty; however, local experts warn the virus could spread through the air vents.

"The smart move is to stop a crisis from starting. As an elected official, my job is to do everything in my power to protect the physical and economic health of Orange County. It is imperative to take an aggressive approach, and alongside my colleagues at the Board, I will get in front of this issue for the good of the people we are privileged to represent," said Wagner.

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