San Francisco Mayor Declares State of Emergency, Europe Prepares for Pandemic

SF Mayor London Breed Declares Local Emergency Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

The city of San Francisco declared on Tuesday a state of emergency even if at the moment there are no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the area.

"Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness," Breed said in a statement. "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."

President Trump will hold a news conference on Covid-19 today at 6:00 PM ET.

The global pandemic is spreading: Europe Prepares for Pandemic as Illness Spreads From Italy

New cases of the coronavirus popping up across Europe. Dozens of infections in Iran stoking fears about an uncontrolled spread in the Middle East. Global market jitters continuing after a steep slide. American health authorities warning that it was a matter of when, not if, the epidemic would reach the United States. A toxic political climate in Washington complicating the public health challenge.

For the first time, more new cases were reported outside China than inside, according to the World Health Organization. Chinese officials on Tuesday reported 411 new infections; in the rest of the world, the number was 427. The total number of cases globally has now reached 80,980 and nearly 3,000 have died.

In the European Union, which prides itself on open borders, new cases were recorded in Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece and Spain. Most were tied to Italy, where the authorities have been struggling to contain an outbreak that has infected at least 325 people, most of them in the north near Milan.

Hotels in Austria, France and the Canary Islands of Spain were locked down this week after guests tested positive for the virus or were suspected of having it. The steps to limit contagion differed from place to place, but large group gatherings were often the first things to be canceled where the virus had been detected.

Coronavirus Cases by Country

News Updates

The U.S. CDC yesterday suggested that the risk of a coronavirus pandemic is likely and is alerting the public to begin preparing for community spread in the United States.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's principal deputy director declared: "It's not a question of if. It's a question of when and how many people will be infected."

Spotlight Italy

What's Happening?

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