HARTFORD, Conn. — Right now, Chris Candelora is one of about 200 people in self-quarantine across Connecticut for possible exposure to the Coronavirus. He's feeling good. But he told FOX61 that upon his return to the United States, he was never screened.
“No problems. Feeling great,” said Dartmouth College student Chris Candelora.
Candelora is from Connecticut. He spent several weeks in Italy. He knows how important a self-quarantine is to protect the public from a virus can lay dormant for 14 days with no symptoms.
“It is most important to self-quarantine especially if there is the slightest risk that you have it.”
Candelora toured Rome as part of Dartmouth College's study abroad program from Jan 6th to February 28th, when he was abruptly flown home.
“Decided collectively that it would be best for us to return to the United States as soon as possible out of fear of not necessarily the Coronavirus but of being blocked in Italy,” he explained.
With nearly 200 deaths and 5,000 infections, Italy's coronavirus outbreak is one of the largest. But stationed in Rome, Candelora was far from the so-called red zones. “For the most part, everyone was wearing masks. Right in the last couple of days that I was there, people started wearing gloves. If anybody coughed on the bus everyone would move to the other side of the bus,” he explained.
Candelora said he was screened at an airport in Italy, but not by customs upon returning to the United States. “Yeah, they let me right through. They just asked where were you studying? I said I was in Italy, studying in Rome and they just let me right through.”
With a week and a day left on his quarantine, Candelora is counting down. He’s passing time by catching up on his studies and practicing healthy habits. “Been up in my bedroom pretty much since coming down for meals every once in a while but washing my hands about 50 times a day and making sure everything is clean.”
Candelora told FOX61 he's had contact with the health department in New Hampshire, but not here in Connecticut. Governor Lamont told FOX61 he does think there needs to be health screening at airports. He's urging everyone to follow the CDC guidelines and avoid all non-essential travel to Italy, China, Iran, South Korea, and Japan.