A TRAVEL ban from China goes into effect at 5 p.m. EST Sunday night in the U.S., denying entry to foreign nationals who have been to the country within the last 14 days.

U.S. citizens who have visited Wuhan, the coronavirus epicenter is in China, are also set to be quarantined for two weeks, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday.

The ban and quarantine come as part of a public health emergency declaration by the HHS on Friday.

Military service members returning to South Korea from China will also be subject to a 14-day quarantine, as of noon Sunday, the United States Armed Forces in Korea announced.

Also beginning Sunday, all incoming flights from China will be restricted to just seven airports, and passengers will be subject to health screening upon arrival.

The proactive measures come as coronavirus cases worldwide continue to rise.

A total of 14,557 cases have been confirmed worldwide, with a majority of the cases occurring in China, according to the latest numbers from the World Health Organization. This was an increase of more than 2,600 cases the previous day.

Worldwide, 23 different countries have confirmed cases. A total of 304 deaths have been reported, according to the WHO.

The United States has confirmed a total of eight cases of the virus.

A college student in his 20s in Boston, Massachusetts was the latest confirmed case in America. Officials said the man, who had returned from China recently, was quarantined and his close contacts were under surveillance.

The last updates from the CDC said a total of 121 possible cases of coronavirus were under investigation.

The 14-day quarantine has become protocol, as health officials and agencies including the CDC say an infected person may have the virus for up to two weeks without showing symptoms.

Scientists worldwide are working to develop a vaccine for coronavirus — but say it may be a year before it’s available.

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