To help protect Wuhan-based Americans from exposure to the mysterious coronavirus, the United States government announced on Monday afternoon that it will fly diplomats and staff to southern California’s Ontario Airport, about 38 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, on Wednesday morning.

The embassy employees will not be flown to San Francisco International Airport, as previously reported.

A chartered flight will evacuate the entire staff, as space is available, from the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan, one of the seven American diplomatic and consular posts in the People’s Republic of China.

All travelers will be screened for symptoms at the airport prior to departure and will be monitored upon arrival.

“The Department of State has ordered U.S. Consulate General Wuhan personnel to depart for the United States,” according to a State Department statement issued Monday afternoon.

First established in 1861, the consulate provides emergency services to U.S. citizens in the region and promotes economic and cultural exchanges.

The move is a sign of how seriously U.S. officials take the outbreak, which continues to spread throughout Asia and the rest of the world. It has caused 2,700 illnesses in China and claimed 82 lives. Nearly 60 million people have been affected by partial or full quarantines in Wuhan and two adjacent cities.

There are more than 60 confirmed cases in 16 nations, including five in the United States.

In the Bay Area, hospitals say they are preparing for cases and are vigilant for patients with recent travel in Wuhan, where the coronavirus is believed to have originated.