A Missouri woman who recently tested positive for coronavirus took an Amtrak train from Chicago to St. Louis after returning from a study abroad trip to Italy, officials confirmed in a statement Sunday evening.
The 20-year-old woman, who is from St. Louis County, flew into Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on March 3 on a return trip from Italy, where she was studying, according to officials.
After staying the night in Chicago with a friend, the woman then got onto an Amtrak train bound for St. Louis on March 4.
According to St. Louis public radio, the woman called the St. Louis County coronavirus hotline on March 6 to report that she was experiencing a high fever and a cough. She then tested positive for coronavirus, making hers the first case of the virus in the St. Louis area.
In a statement, Amtrak says that they are “working in close contact” with officials to determine their next steps.
“We are working in close contact with public health and emergency management teams to have the best available information to be able to share with our customers and employees who might be affected,” the agency said in a statement. “Amtrak is notifying passengers and employees who may have been on the same train, and as a precaution, we have taken the train out of service for comprehensive cleaning and disinfection, and are also working to do a thorough disinfection of the Chicago and St. Louis stations.”
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The woman’s younger sister is a student at Villa Duchesne and Oak Hill School in St. Louis County, and the school will be closed as a precaution on Monday, according to reports from St. Louis.
