20 people quarantined for coronavirus concerns in St. Louis

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On Friday, leaders in both the county and city announced their plan to deal with a possible outbreak.

"We will be prepared, but we are a long way away from asking people to stay home, but if we get to that point we will implement our recommendations based on guidance from the CDC," said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.

Page was a practicing anesthesiologist for more than 20 years.

On Friday, he combined his knowledge as a physician and political leader to update the public on the coronavirus.

He said right now 20 people are "under surveillance" in the city and county because of the virus.

"That means they may have been exposed. They may have been in contact with a traveler. They may have gone to a foreign country or may have been repatriated," Page explained.

READ MORE: St. Louis' biggest coronavirus questions answered

With more than 80,000 confirmed cases worldwide and more cases popping up throughout the country, Page said it's best to be on the safe side, which is why they're monitoring those 20 people closely.

"We're taking all the proper precautions keeping those folks segregated from others or quarantined so to speak," explained Page.

City and county leaders said they'll have the funding and support of their respective board members to handle the virus if it spreads.

"Essentially, what we are more than likely to see is a situation similar to H1N1 years ago," said St. Louis City Health Director Fredrick Echols.