WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Americans should avoid traveling to Seattle after an outbreak of coronavirus in the area.
"That would be a place you would avoid for now," Kudlow said Friday in an interview on CNBC, as he also urged Americans not to overreact to the virus.
There have been 14 deaths from the coronavirus in the U.S., mostly in the Seattle area. The number of infections in the U.S. topped 200, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Kudlow said the U.S. should consider a targeted approach to providing financial assistance related to the virus.
"Let's think about individuals who might lose paychecks because they have to stay home if they get the virus," he said. "Let's think about small businesses that might get hurt by this."
He said airlines could be an industry targeted for assistance, but complimented executives for not requesting a bailout when they met with Trump earlier this week to discuss the outbreak.
A Standard & Poor's index of major U.S. airlines reversed losses and climbed 3.1% at 10:25 a.m. in New York, led by United Airlines Holdings Inc. and Alaska Air Group Inc. Before Friday, the industry had been among the biggest losers in the stock market over the last two weeks.
Kudlow also said young, healthy people should go to work. "If you're healthy, if you're on the younger side, you should go about your business," he said.
