Americans have been warned by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to begin preparing for the spread of the coronavirus.
“The data over the past week about the spread in other countries has raised our level of concern and expectation that we are going to have community spread here,” Dr Nancy Messonnier, the CDC head of respiratory diseases, told reporters.
Public health officials confirmed on Tuesday that there are currently 57 people in the United States with the virus, with only two instances of person-to-person transference.
San Francisco declared a state of emergency amid concerns over coronavirus. No cases have been confirmed in the Californian city, however Mayor London Breed said “the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness.”
Donald Trump’s administration has been criticised for not being more prepared and informed for a potential major outbreak. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said: “All of the warning lights are flashing bright red. We are staring down a potential pandemic, and the administration has no plan.”
Mitt Romney joined the long list of US politicians airing concerns about a potential pandemic, saying “I’m very disappointed in the degree to which we’ve prepared for a pandemic, both in terms of protective equipment and in terms of medical devices that would help people once they are infected.” Senator Patty Murray called the administration’s handling so far “unacceptable.”
Catch-up on events as they happened
"It's not so much of a question of if this will happen in this country any more but a question of when this will happen," Dr Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters.
Here's more on what the president said about stocks - and what actually happened to them:
But how concerned should the public be about contracting the airborne illness, which is transmitted human-to-human, and are there practical steps you can take, like wearing a face mask, to reduce your risk?
There are contradictory reports regarding the potential for widespread coronavirus infections in the US, with the White House economic advisor saying that investors need not fear an escalating number of cases.
White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told CNBC on Tuesday that "We have contained this. I won't say [it's] air-tight, but it's pretty close to air-tight." He added that the coronavirus outbreak is a "human tragedy" but said it won't likely become an "economic tragedy".
There are a total of more than 80,410 cases worldwide and an estimated 2,711 deaths from the virus.
A day after Trump unleashed a team of advisors to talk up the market and claim that coronavirus is all but under control, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost another 690 points by mid-afternoon Tuesday. The market's now off about 8 per cent since February 12th."
Trump administration using funds from Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, report says
The Trump administration is reportedly moving $37 million from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for emergency coronavirus response, according to The Washington Post. The LIHEAP funds heating for poor families.
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