Coronavirus death toll increases, Rhode Island family works to leave China

As the death toll in China continues to rise from the new coronavirus, Rhode Islanders vacationing there are trying to find a way out.

Randy Stockstill, of Richmond, and his family are among the Americans who are stranded.

Speaking with NBC 10's Gene Valicenti on WPRO radio Monday, they explained they are working to get to the only U.S. flight expected to leave from Wuhan in the coming days.

"We are approved to get on the plane. They have spots for us. The issue now is getting to Wuhan," said Stockstill.

Stockstill is worried about his kids: one is 3 years old and the other is just 3 months old.

They traveled to Yichang, four hours south of Wuhan, to celebrate the Chinese New Year with his wife's family.

He said it has been much different than in the past when he was there for the new year. He explained the extended family did not come to where they are staying, as many are afraid to leave their homes.

"People are definitely worried, people are definitely taking precautions," said Stockstill.

Wuhan and some surrounding areas on lockdown need approval from officials to use the highway.

Stocksill said where his family is, people can go in the streets but not on the highway, which is causing for difficulty in his venture to get to Wuhan.

"We have approval to get to the airport now, but we don't have approval for the person driving us," explained Stockstill.

He said their cousin was to drive them to the airport but if he does, he likely wouldn't be able to leave Wuhan to return to the Yichang area where he lives.

"It's an ongoing struggle," said Stockstill.

Back in the United States, five cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed.

Two New Hampshire residents went into isolation Monday afternoon, waiting for the Centers for Disease Control to confirm if they are infected.

The CDC said they are among the 110 people under investigation for the virus across 26 states.

In Boston, the mayor activated the incident command center to help coordinate a possible response to an outbreak.

"At this point in time, there have been no inquiries that fit the criteria from the CDC that make us concerned about the coronavirus," explained Dr. Julie Lo, with the Boston Health Commission.

While we wait and see, the Stockstill family is pleading for a way out.

"We have been staying in the house for five days. We do have masks for when we go to the car," said Stockstill.

NBC 10 News is still waiting to get another update from the family.

At last check, the U.S. consulate in Wuhan said they are chartering a plane that would land in southern California.