Local woman worries for mom, sister overseas amid coronavirus chaos

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - The coronavirus is hitting too close to home for one Brevard County resident.

Zamira Marquez’s mom and sister are both in Japan.

“My mother went to visit my sister who’s teaching English in Japan up in the Hokkaido area,” she told FOX 35 News.

Fear of the virus is swirling on the northern island.

“They made a big announcement that all schools are closing,” Marquez said.

FOX 35 spoke with her sister, Cenobia Marquez, over Skype.

“My area has a lot of older, elderly people so you can see a lot of people walking around with masks and that sort of thing,” she said.

She said although nobody is being quarantined, they are being urged to reduce exposure outside.

“Limiting the amount of transportation use and students being in large numbers,” she said.

The country is close to Zamira’s heart.

“I was there for nine years. I was teaching English as well,” she said.

She worries for former employers and friends.

“I still have friends and people that I stay in touch with so I worry about them,” she said.

She wishes her mom and sister could return back to the states, however, she thinks it would be safer for them to stay put and avoid traveling.

“Just be safe and hopefully the situation is under control very soon,” she said.