The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a 14-day federal quarantine order for 195 U.S. citizens who were evacuated directly from Wuhan, China amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Why it matters: This is the first time the CDC has ordered a quarantine in nearly 50 years. The last time was in the 1960s to protect against smallpox. CDC officials emphasized this is purely preventative since the U.S. citizens were directly exposed to the coronavirus in Wuhan.

The state of play: The evacuees travelled on the same flight from Wuhan back the U.S. and are currently at the March Air Reserve Base in California.

Officials urge the public to not let fear guide their actions.

Go deeper: