'Really Terrified': NJ Woman Who Works In Epicenter Of Coronavirus Outbreak Hoping To Return Home Soon
HADDON HEIGHTS, N.J. (CBS) -- Coronavirus has made its way to the northeast. There is one confirmed case in Boston and another possible case in New York City. A local woman who works in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak spoke with CBS3 on Saturday night.
For Haddon Heights, New Jersey, parents Stephanie and David Cook, hearing from their only daughter -- who is currently in China -- means the world.
"We want her home. We want her in our arms. We want to be able to hug her and tell her we love her," David Cook said.
Allie Cook, 25, is an English teacher in China at Wuhan Polytechnic University.
The school is located in Wuhan, which is the capital of Hubei province and the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Honestly, I was really terrified," Allie Cook said. "There were a few nights I couldn't sleep because I was like what if I touched something or what if something happened and what if I have the virus?"
Cook says she left Wuhan for vacation just before the viral disease was deemed an outbreak on Jan. 4. She hasn't returned to Wuhan since.
She's about 700 miles away in Chengdu, China.
"I just want to go back to my apartment at this point and be back in Wuhan," Cook said.
The death toll in China from the coronavirus rose to more than 300 on Saturday. More than 14,000 people globally have been infected.
The vast majority are on the Chinese mainland. But here in the United States, the number sits at eight, including a University of Massachusetts-Boston student confirmed on Saturday after returning from China. Another possible case is being investigated in New York City.
The state department has warned Americans to avoid all travel to China after the World Health Organization designed the outbreak as a global public health emergency.
Colleges in Philadephia are taking extra precautions.
The University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and Temple University have all advised against or restricted travel to China for students, staff and faculty.
For Allie Cook, she hopes to make it home to New Jersey soon.
"I leave here on Tuesday and because of the time change, I should be getting back into Philly on Tuesday," she said.
"We're proud of her for what she does over there teaching, but as a parent, we want to be able to reach over and bring her home," David Cook said.
Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but they'll have to face screening at select airports and will be required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk.
