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Business as usual at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, despite coronavirus concerns

“At this point we have not seen anything that’s expected to change. It’s a fluid thing right now,”`
Posted at 10:10 AM, Feb 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-12 18:53:32-05

BOZEMAN — Despite recent news of coronavirus concerns, it’s business as usual at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.

“At this point we have not seen anything that’s expected to change. It’s a fluid thing right now,”said airport director, Brian Sprenger.

In a press release Monday, the Gallatin City-County Health Department reported an individual with a travel history from mainland China is being evaluated at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital for an illness.

In terms of air travel, Sprenger says all of the efforts made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the spread of the coronavirus are done at main ports of entry.

There’s not a long of things that we can do within the airport at this point. Really, once somebody enters the United States they have free access. That’s one of the great things about our country.

“We have a lot of travelers who come in from all over the world and there’s always a potential that we’re gonna see one of these novel coronaviruses show up,” said Dr. Mark Winton, infectious disease specialist at the Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital.

“But it is flu and virus season. So we’re seeing all kinds of viruses.”

Until further notice from the CDC, protocol remains the same at the airport.

“If the CDC contacted us, we would coordinate directly with them,” said Sprenger.

We asked Dr. Winton if he was worried about the spread of the Novel Coronavirus in the area.

“Not anymore than any other viruses or diseases we have going on at the moment.”