At least 328 Chinese nationals trying to enter the United States illegally since January have been intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials as part of heightened awareness on the borders to block the coronavirus from slipping into the nation.

Officials told Secrets Wednesday that since January, 328 Chinese were “apprehended” and sent back across the border or repatriated consistent with existing policy and procedure. Another three from South Korea, where the virus is also spreading, were also caught.

Some 227 foreign nationals from other nations who tried to enter through legal border points from Feb. 2 through March 3 have been turned away due to the travel restriction ordered by the president and implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, officials said.

The White House previously announced travel restrictions for China, saying the U.S. would keep out any foreign national who's been in China within 14 days.

Several agencies within the DHS have been enlisted into President Trump’s “whole of government” attack on the virus, and more than 700 officials have been deployed to the effort.

Senior administration officials said that the president’s three-year focus on the border, the new wall, and the policy of keeping illegal immigrants in Mexico while awaiting permission to enter the U.S., have gone a long way to keep the virus away, especially at the southern border.

But acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Tuesday raised concerns about a court challenge to the Migrant Protection Protocols policy of keeping migrants in Mexico, where the coronavirus has also landed.

“MPP has an uncertain future. We know from experience that the journey to the U.S. border puts migrants in poor conditions — and they often arrive with no passports, medical histories, or travel manifests. The administration will continue to closely monitor the virus globally, as well as in our hemisphere, and will adjust our proactive measures as necessary,” he said.

Added a senior administration official: "We have a unique public health threat posed by individuals arriving unlawfully at the border. Any halting of MPP would exacerbate that threat."

DHS acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said, “The department’s top priority is the safety of the American people, and President Trump has directed an aggressive, coordinated interagency response to fulfill that mission.”

He told Secrets: “The American people can be assured that we're doing everything we can to protect our homeland. While the general risk to the American public remains low, DHS has mobilized a departmentwide response to keep Americans safe, secure, and informed. Fortunately, we were able to engage DHS assistance early to prevent the spread of this virus in the U.S. We remain locked arm-in-arm with our interagency partners, HHS and CDC health professionals, and state and local officials acting as one to safeguard the health and safety of the American people.”

Several agencies are part of the effort. CBP and the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office are supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention entry screening at 11 major airports. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Coast Guard are also playing key roles.

Officials said that 150-200 CBP officers are involved in screening those coming into the United States at 11 locations.

CWMD has more than 500 trained screeners.

Coast Guard medical teams have screened 707 people at three airports, Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle, and remains responsible for all seaports.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is working with the Department of Health and Human Services in “incident management, resource planning, and federal interagency coordination,” according to an official. FEMA is readying 56 “incident management assistance teams” that can be deployed to trouble areas.

The numbers of those caught so far:

Illegal immigrants apprehended at the southern border since Jan. 1:

China: 328

South Korea: 3

Foreign nationals refused at land ports of entry by CBP from Feb. 2 to March 3:

Canada: 113

China: 90

India: 9

Mexico: 6

Germany: 4

Bangladesh: 2

Japan: 2

Norway: 1

Singapore: 1