Azar Reiterates Willingness To Declare Public Emergency, But Says Americans For Now Are At Low Risk Of Virus
There are only five confirmed cases in the U.S. at the moment. HHS Secretary Alex Azar, along with other top health officials, urge Americans not to panic about a potential outbreak. Meanwhile, the government is taking steps to regulate air travel to and from China.
NPR:
As China's Coronavirus Cases Rise, U.S. Agencies Map Out Domestic Containment Plans
At a news conference Tuesday, top U.S. health officials reiterated that the disease — while serious — is not currently a threat to ordinary Americans. "At this point, Americans should not worry for their own safety," said Alex Azar, health and human services secretary, at the press briefing Tuesday. While risk to most Americans remains low, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted that "risk is dependent on exposure" and that health care workers or others who know they have been in contact with a person exposed to the virus should take precautions. (Harris, 1/28)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Expands Airport Screening For Coronavirus; Officials Add Risk Of Extensive Infections Is Low
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said he wouldn’t hesitate to declare a national health emergency if needed, but underscored that there are just five confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. so far. “This is potentially a very serious health threat, but at this point Americans should not worry for their safety,” Mr. Azar said at a news conference with officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies. (Burton, 1/28)
The Hill:
HHS Chief: No Plans To Declare Public Health Emergency Over Coronavirus
Some congressional Republicans, including Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.) and Rep. Vern Buchanan (Fla.) have called for a public health emergency declaration in order to free up additional federal funding. Azar noted that there are still only five confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States, with no person-to-person transmission. That means that every person with a confirmed case has traveled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated. (Weixel, 1/28)
The Hill:
GOP Senator Calls For Travel Ban To Stop Coronavirus Spread
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is calling for the Trump administration to implement a “targeted travel ban” to stop the spread of a coronavirus from China. In a letter to members of President Trump’s Cabinet Tuesday, Cotton said it may be too late for China to contain the virus within its borders, and called for a ban on all commercial flights between the U.S. and China. (Weixel, 1/28)
Los Angeles Times:
China Agrees To Accept Help From WHO As Coronavirus Outbreak Worsens
Azar described China’s response as “completely different” than the obfuscation that accompanied the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome, which sickened more than 8,000 people in 29 countries and resulted in 774 deaths. Still, he encouraged Chinese officials to be more open about the status of the growing outbreak. “We are urging China: More cooperation and transparency are the most important steps you can take toward a more effective response,” Azar said. (Baumgaertner, 1/28)
Stat:
Federal Officials Tell China: Let U.S. Health Workers Enter To Help Respond To Coronavirus
“All options for dealing with infectious disease spread have to be on the table, including travel restrictions,” Azar said. “But diseases are not terribly good at respecting borders, so we would have to assess carefully whether the evidence recommends any steps beyond the thoroughly tested methods I just described.” (Facher, 1/28)
The Associated Press:
US Beefs Up Screening Of Travelers For New Virus From China
U.S. health officials offered a reality check Tuesday about the scary new virus from China: They're expanding screenings of international travelers and taking other precautions but for now, they insist the risk to Americans is very low. “At this point Americans should not worry for their own safety,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Tuesday. (Neergaard and Alonso-Zaldivar, 1/28)
Bloomberg:
U.S. Weighs Options On Coronavirus, Including China Flight Ban
The U.S. government is considering several options to combat the emergence of the coronavirus, including a ban on flights to and from China, though no decision has been made, a person familiar with the deliberations said on Tuesday night. Several agencies are coordinating on the government’s response as fatalities from the respiratory illness grow and cases spread far beyond China’s borders, including to the U.S. (Levin, 1/28)
ABC News:
White House Doesn't Rule Out Suspending US-China Flights Amid Coronavirus Fears
The White House is not ruling out suspending flights between the U.S. and China because of the coronavirus outbreak, three sources confirmed to ABC News. A person familiar with the deliberation said the U.S. has not elected to take action yet, but that the "incredibly volatile" situation is being closely monitored. Another source said that during a conference call on Tuesday the White House did not take the possibility of suspending flights off the table. (Kaji, 1/28)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus: Flight Evacuating U.S. Nationals From China Diverted
A flight carrying government employees evacuated from the U.S. Consulate in the Chinese city of Wuhan amid a coronavirus outbreak will land at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County instead of Ontario International Airport, officials announced Tuesday night. Curt Hagman, chairman of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, said in a video news release that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told local officials that the flight will be diverted to the base “for the logistics that they have.” (Cosgrove and Wigglesworth, 1/28)
CNN:
US State Department Charter Flight Departs China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
A California-bound flight chartered by the US State Department left the China city at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak on Wednesday morning local time, a department spokesman said. About 240 Americans could be on the flight from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. It will stop to refuel in Anchorage, Alaska, before arriving early Wednesday at a military base near Riverside, California -- instead of a nearby civilian airport in Ontario, California, as first planned. (Vera, 1/28)
CNN:
US Evacuees From China Head To California Military Base As Coronavirus Outbreak Grows
The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services said officials conducted screenings on 201 passengers. Before the flight arrived in Alaska, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had said there were about 210 US citizens aboard the flight. It is not clear why the passenger counts from the state and federal agency differ. The passengers also will go through a series of screenings after they land in California. (Karimi, 1/29)
ABC News:
US Evacuation Flight From China's Coronavirus Zone Rerouted To March Air Reserve Base
Passengers erupted into cheers once they were all cleared, officials said. Authorities had said earlier that anyone who got sick en route to Alaska could be separated from the group in Anchorage and flown onward independently. (Finnegan and Nathanson, 1/29)
Reuters:
United Airlines Suspends Some U.S. Flights To China As Demand Drops Over Virus Fears
United Airlines Holdings Inc said on Tuesday it was suspending some flights between the United States and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 due to a "significant decline in demand" as the new coronavirus spreads. "We will continue to monitor the situation as it develops and will adjust our schedule as needed," United said in a statement. (Rucinski, 1/29)
Kaiser Health News:
Response To Nation’s 1st Coronavirus Case Draws On Lessons From Measles Outbreak
When the first U.S. case of a new coronavirus spreading throughout China was confirmed last week in Washington state, public health workers were well prepared to respond, building on lessons learned during the outbreak of measles that sickened 87 people in the state in 2019. As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed five cases of infection from the new coronavirus in the U.S., including two in California, one in Illinois and one in Arizona. (Stone, 1/28)
