Federal health officials screened two students arriving at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport from Europe who were in close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 and determined they did not have symptoms of the coronavirus.

The travelers are University of Minnesota students and were not tested for COVID-19. The person they were in contact with was not a university student and was not allowed to fly to Minnesota because they tested positive for the virus.

“Currently, we are not testing people who had known contact with a case. We are testing people with symptoms,” said Rich Danila, assistant state epidemiologist.

While the students did not exhibit symptoms, they’ve been asked to quarantine themselves for two weeks. University leaders said they are helping with the quarantine and regularly checking them for symptoms.

Officials noted the students had not been in any university buildings, facilities or residence halls since returning to the U.S. The university has suspended study-abroad programs in Italy, China and South Korea.

Minnesota has “liberalized” its testing criteria, Danila said. Generally, the state will test people who have symptoms if they have been in contact with a known case or need to be hospitalized.

Doctors are being asked to try to rule out other infections, such as the flu, before requesting a COVID-19 test.

On Tuesday, 90 physicians from across Minnesota called to inquire about possible tests for patients in their care. So far, the state Department of Health has tested more than 20 samples, but does not have a confirmed case.

Since the outbreak began, nearly 100 Minnesotans have been asked to isolate themselves because of suspected exposure to the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has quarantine stations set up at MSP and airports around the U.S. to monitor for potential cases and screen passengers who might have been exposed.

Officials learned of the two students who had been exposed while they were en route to Minnesota from Italy. State officials noted that Italy is the European country with the most known infections.

The infected person the students were in contact with was not a direct relative, Danila said. Other passengers on the plane will be notified if anyone becomes sick with the coronavirus.

Minnesota health officials have acknowledged keeping the virus out of the state is likely impossible. They’ve transitioned their efforts from containing the infection to working to slow its spread.

The Minnesota Department of Health has requested new funding from the Legislature to fund its response to the virus. The state already has about $5 million set aside for such purposes and Congress is planning to provide as much as $8 billion to the states.

The Legislature debated and advanced bills Wednesday to provide funding to address the virus.

The Health Department offered a few tips to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and other respiratory infections, including:

Cover coughs and sneezes with a sleeve or tissue, not your hand.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Stay home when sick.

Stay informed by visiting the Health Department website.

The virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, and is believed to have spread to people in an open-air food market with live animals.

Nearly 100,000 people have been infected around the globe and more than 3,000 have died.

While COVID-19 has symptoms similar to the flu, it is though to be much deadlier. The most critical cases have been in the elderly and in patients with serious underlying health conditions.

In the United States, there have been at least 130 cases in 13 states. Eleven people have died.

Efforts to stem the disease’s spread have prompted an increase in travel restrictions, with many major airlines suspending or reducing flights to China and other hotspots like northern Italy and Singapore.