U.S. Declares Coronavirus A Public Health Emergency As Major Airlines Suspend China Travel

Topline: The Trump administration on Friday officially designated the China coronavirus as a public health emergency in the United States’, as governments and businesses alike scramble to take measures to contain the rapidly spreading disease.

• The deadly coronavirus is now severe enough to constitute a “public health emergency” in the U.S., Alex Azar, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced in a White House press briefing on Friday.
• The fast-spreading disease has now killed at least 213 people and infected more than 10,000—making it more infectious than the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak—with six confirmed cases in the U.S.
• The U.S. will be “temporarily suspending the entry into the United States of foreign nationals who pose a risk of transmitting the 2019 novel coronavirus,” Azar said.
• The additional travel ban encompasses any foreign nationals who have traveled to China within the last 14 days.
• Incoming flights from China will now be limited to seven U.S. airports: Atlanta, Honolulu, JFK in New York, Los Angeles, O’Hare in Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle, according to Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security.

Crucial quote: The risk to the American public is still “low” at this time, according to Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Key background: Originating in Wuhan, China, the fast-spreading coronavirus has now reached more than 21 different countries. There are a total of six confirmed cases in the U.S., which issued its highest travel alert possible for China on Thursday night—advising Americans to avoid all “nonessential” travel to the country. Major U.S. airlines have largely suspended travel as well, and a host of countries, including the U.S., have also evacuated citizens from China and placed them under quarantine.

Further reading: Here’s Every State And Country With A Confirmed Coronavirus Case (Updating)