‘Aggressive Measures’ In Place To Contain Coronavirus Cases In U.S., Officials Promise

The New York Times: U.S. Officials Promise ‘Aggressive Measures’ To Contain Coronavirus
Four military bases in Texas, California and Colorado were preparing to house American citizens for up to two weeks as part of a highly unusual federal effort aimed at slowing the spread of the deadly coronavirus. As of late Monday, though, expectations that a large number of Americans who had traveled to parts of China might quickly be held under quarantine had not come to pass. No new travelers from China had been brought to the military bases, federal officials said. The only people under federal quarantine were fewer than 200 people who had been in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and were flown to a base in Riverside, Calif., last week. (Bosman and Grady, 2/3)

NBC News: Aggressive Action Necessary To Counter The 'Unprecedented Threat' Of Coronavirus, CDC Says
The characterization comes as the agency is working to provide state and local health departments with the tools needed to diagnose the virus themselves. Currently, the CDC headquarters in Atlanta is the only place in the country with a test for the new coronavirus. That means lab results take at least 24 to 36 hours, including the time it takes to send samples overnight to Atlanta, plus four to six hours to perform the actual test. (Edwards, 2/3)

CNN: US Coronavirus: There Are 11 Confirmed Cases Of The Virus That Has Killed More Than 420 People In China
CDC officials said they're trying to expedite the "emergency use authorization" for tests so more parts of the United States can test for and diagnose the Wuhan coronavirus. "The process is extremely expedited, and our colleagues at (the US Food and Drug Administration) have been working with us closely ever since we made the plan that we were going to do this in this way," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. (Maxouris and Yan, 2/3)

The Hill: American Experts To Join WHO Delegation In China To Study Coronavirus
The World Health Organization (WHO) could send a delegation of international health experts to China as soon as this week to work on the coronavirus outbreak.China will allow American experts to join the delegation despite frustrations expressed by WHO and the Chinese government over the U.S. response to the coronavirus. “China has accepted the United States’ offer to incorporate a group of experts into a World Health Organization mission to China to learn more about and combat the virus,” a spokesperson with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) told The Hill. (Hellmann, 2/3)

The Washington Post: Spread Of Coronavirus Threatens To Strain U.S.-China Relations Along With Global Health System
China on Monday accused the United States of contributing to public hysteria over the deadly novel coronavirus, as the struggle to contain the illness adds further strain to diplomatic relations that have grown more distrustful under the Trump administration. The rapid spread of the virus has put Beijing on the defensive for what critics have called a slow initial response to contain it and a lack of transparency over the scale of the outbreak. In a briefing for reporters, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman attempted to deflect blame by citing an “overreaction” from the U.S. government that has “spread fear” and set a “bad example” for other nations. (Nakamura and Fifield, 2/3)

The Washington Post: White House Coronavirus Response Could Require $136 Million In Additional Funds
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services notified Congress on Sunday it may need to transfer up to $136 million to help combat the fast-moving coronavirus epidemic, a new sign of how the White House has increased its response in recent days. The notification came as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is quickly burning through $105 million that was set aside for emergency public-health responses to things such as the coronavirus. (Abutaleb and Werner, 2/3)

The Hill: HHS Tells Congress It May Transfer Millions Of Dollars In Funding To Respond To Coronavirus
The CDC has already dipped into a $105 million fund created by Congress last year to help federal agencies respond to public health emergencies. That funding was used to enhance laboratory capacity, communication and education efforts and to provide a surge in support for ports of entry and CDC technical assistance. The CDC is performing enhanced entry screenings at five U.S. airports where passengers from Wuhan will arrive. (Hellmann, 2/3)

Los Angeles Times: CDC Warns Coronavirus Cases Will Continue To Spread
After a steady increase in the last week in the number of coronavirus cases in California and across the U.S., officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the virus is likely to spread. “We expect to find other cases in the United States,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. (Shalby, 2/3)

Reuters: U.S. Evacuees From China Placed On 72-Hour 'Hold' At California Military Base For Medical Evaluation
Nearly 200 Americans airlifted from China in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak arrived on Wednesday at a U.S. military base in California, where they will remain isolated for at least 72 hours of medical evaluation, public health officials said. The group, mostly U.S. diplomats and their families, were evacuated from Wuhan at the epicenter of the outbreak aboard a U.S. government-chartered cargo jet that stopped to refuel in Alaska on Tuesday night before flying on to March Air Reserve Base, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles. (Younis, 2/3)

The Associated Press: 1st US Patient With New Virus Leaves Hospital, Is Recovering
The man who became the first U.S. patient infected with the new virus from China has left the hospital and said in a statement that he is getting better and looking forward to life returning to normal, according to a statement from the man provided to The Associated Press on Monday. The 35-year-old man thanked his doctors, nurses and other staff at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Seattle, according to the statement from the unidentified man given to the AP by hospital officials. (Johnson, 2/3)

The Hill: First US Patient Infected With Coronavirus Leaves Hospital
“I am at home and continuing to get better,” the man said in a statement obtained by the AP. “I ask that the media please respect my privacy and my desire not to be in the public eye.” “I appreciate all of the concern expressed by members of the public, and I look forward to returning to my normal life," he continued. (Bowden, 2/3)

NBC News: 1st Patient Diagnosed With Coronavirus In U.S. Released From Hospital
Health officials are closely monitoring 56 close contacts of the patient for any signs of the illness, which has the ability to spread from person to person. (Edwards, 2/3)

NPR: U.S. Coronavirus Quarantine And Travel Limits: Needed Protection Or Overreaction?
The Trump administration's aggressive efforts to protect Americans from the coronavirus are drawing both praise and criticism. On Friday, the federal government temporarily banned entry into the United States for anyone traveling from China who isn't a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or an immediate family member of either. In addition, any Americans returning to the U.S. from China's Hubei Province, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, will be quarantined for 14 days. (Stein, 2/3)

CNN: Travel Restrictions Go Into Effect To Combat Coronavirus Spread In US
The plan, which went into effect at 5 p.m. ET, includes temporarily denying entry to foreign nationals who visited China in the 14 days prior to their arrival to the United States, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Friday. Restrictions also apply to US citizens who have been in China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, in the two weeks prior to their return to the United States. Upon their return, those citizens will be subject to a mandatory quarantine of up to 14 days, he said.US citizens returning from the rest of mainland China in the 14 days prior will undergo health screenings at selected ports of entry and face up to 14 days of self-monitored quarantine. Azar outlined the restrictions Friday as he declared the coronavirus a public health emergency in the United States, stressing that "the risk to the American public remains low at this time, and we are working to keep this risk low." (Andone, 2/3)

Roll Call: US Health System Could Face Strain If Coronavirus Spreads Here
The coronavirus outbreak spreading in China could expose vulnerabilities in the U.S.  health care system if transmission became widespread here, experts warn. Among the challenges the U.S. could face in a coronavirus outbreak are health care workforce and medical supply shortages, a lack of hospital beds if the disease symptoms prove severe, and a financial strain on health departments that have seen waning support from the federal government over the years. (Siddons, 1/31)

The Hill: Tech Companies Feel Growing Impact Of Coronavirus Outbreak
But the effects could be particularly felt by the U.S. tech industry, which has depended on China both as a major market for its goods and as a critical supplier of components for a number of consumer products. Financial analysts at Goldman Sachs on Monday predicted Chinese gross domestic product growth would drop 1.6 percentage points compared to first quarter last year, which they estimate would slow growth 1 percentage point globally over the same period. Producers of smartphones and other consumer electronics could face steeper hits from the loss of revenue and productivity, according to the firm’s equity research team. Beyond the factories in Wuhan, where the disease originated, manufacturing throughout China could be affected. The outbreak coincided with the Chinese Lunar New Year, which sees millions traveling throughout the country. (Rodrigo, 2/3)