San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in her city over a potential coronavirus outbreak, The Hill reported.
No cases of Covid-19, as the virus is officially named, have been reported in the city, but Breed said in a prepared statement, "the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness.
"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," Breed said.
The mayor's action comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned Americans to brace for disruptions to daily life.
"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," Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Tuesday. "Disruption to everyday life might be severe."
San Francisco's move allows city officials to ready its resources should there be a coronavirus outbreak in the city. Santa Clarity County has already issued a similar declaration.
The virus began in mainland China with most cases still there, though Italy has recently seen the largest amount of cases outside Asia. More than 77,000 cases have been confirmed in China, with 2,000 confirmed elsewhere. The United States has confirmed 57 cases, which includes 40 people who retured from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
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