Summary:
• WHO warns the
rest of the world "is not ready for the virus to spread..."
• CDC warns
Americans "should prepare for possible community spread" of virus.
• San Francisco Mayor declares state of emergency
• Later, CDC says pandemic not a question of it, but when
•
Germany confirms 2nd case on Tuesday, brings total to 17• Italy cases spike to 322; deaths hit 10
• Japan's Shiseido tesll 8k employees to work from home
• Kudlow tries to jawbone markets higher
• HHS Sec. Azar warns US lacks stockpiles of masks
• Italy Hotel in Lockdown After First Coronavirus Case in Liguria
• Algeria confirms 1st case
• First case in Switzerland
• Kuwait halts all flights to Singapore and Japan
• Iran confirms 95 cases, 15 deaths
• First case in Austria
• First case in Spain
• Iran Deputy Health Minister infected with Covid-19
Update (1750ET): Following reports just a few hours ago claiming Germany had reported its first case of the virus, Europe's largest economy has just reported its second case, according to domestic media reports. The first patient was reportedly a 25-year-old German who recently traveled to Milan. Patient No. 2 was confirmed near Germany's border with the Netherlands. The man is in critical condition. This brings Germany's total cases to 18. Germany's neighbors Austria and Switzerland confirmed their first cases on Tuesday as the virus spread through Central Europe. Over in Japan, Shiseido told 8,000 employees, roughly 30% of the personal-care company's workforce, to telecommute in keeping with the Japanese government's push for private employers to keep their workers out of offices and public places. Japanese companies started this more than a week ago, and have since expanded the number of employees affected.
Update (1700ET): SFChronicle reports that Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency for San Francisco Tuesday, which will ramp up the city’s efforts to prepare for and confront potential cases.
"There have been no confirmed coronavirus cases in San Francisco to date, but “the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness," Breed said in a statement. Three people have been treated at San Francisco hospitals for coronavirus, two of which have been discharged, but to date no cases have originated inside the city.
“We see the virus spreading in new parts of the world every day, and we are taking the necessary steps to protect San Franciscans from harm.” This decision follows Santa Clara County, which declared a state of emergency a few weeks ago for similar reasons.
Update (1545ET): In keeping with the spate of ominous comments from American government officials, there have been reports about FDA Director Stephen Hahn warning about a shortage of medical supplies like facemasks as the CDC warns that outbreaks in the US are inevitable. He made a similar comment yesterday. [Pic related]
Update (1520ET): Following an intro from HHS's Alex Azar where he assured the public that the US is expanding its flu-monitoring surveillance system and taking other measures to mitigate the outbreak, a CDC representative attested that its response to the virus started in December following the initial reports. The US has pursued a policy of containment, travel restrictions and travel warnings. "We believe those precautions are working." She largely repeated the warnings from earlier, hinting at the possibility of "community-based measures" for infection response that could include quarantines, while the US shifts to a policy of treating mild cases in isolation at home. She also reiterated that it's no longer a question of if a pandemic will happen - it's a question of when.
"Our public health system has detected 14 people among the travelers entering the US. The fact that we have been cases at this level is an accomplishment.' [continued]
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