Travelers at El Paso International Airport taking extra precautions and cleaning more due to coronavirus concerns

EL PASO. Texas -- El Paso International Airport is continuing with cleanliness guidelines and travelers are taking extra precautions amidst coronavirus concerns.

An airport staffer told ABC-7 they have seen a lot less traffic in recent weeks, and an official representative said they follow the same cleaning schedule no matter what.

“Every day of the year, throughout the year, there’s going to be some sort of viruses and bacteria because we’re such a public place,” said spokeswoman Cassandra Davidson with El Paso International.

Two friends who flew out of Miami and through Houston said they saw more people than normal taking visible signs against illness: Spreading it or contracting it.

“I definitely saw multiple ethnic groups wearing masks. So people who came from different diverse background were for sure,” said air traveler Lisa Tahn.

For some, the key so far is to clean what they can.

“I also have hand-sanitizer and I made sure to wash my hands a lot more thoroughly than I usually would,” said another traveler, Lina Koschik.

Some cities like Los Angeles have coronavirus screeners testing people who are flying in from outbreak areas. Screeners like those aren’t in El Paso, but officials said that’s not something to worry about.

“El Paso international airport does not have direct international flights at this time, so everyone flying through the airport has gone, if they are flying international, has gone through one of those hubs that has the screening in place,” Davidson said.

One of the screeners at LAX was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Tuesday after testing patients. That screener is now quarantined at home.