All times below are in Eastern time.
12:37 pm: First human-to-human transmission of coronavirus confirmed in US
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois public health officials confirmed Thursday the nation’s first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus. The new patient is the spouse of the Chicago woman who brought the infection back from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, Illinois health officials said during a CDC press briefing. The transmission makes the U.S. at least the fifth country where the infection is now spreading through human-to-human contact.
11:20 am: Economists say coronavirus could hit the US economy
Coming off the slowest year of growth in three years, the U.S. economy in the first quarter of 2020 is expected to slow down even more due to the impact of Boeing and now the potential wild card of the coronavirus. The virus has already hit the Chinese economy, as cities close and people isolate themselves in their homes. “It’s going to have a hit on Chinese spending,” Barclays U.S. economist Jonathan Millar said. “We may see more of it in the U.S. but we just don’t know at this point. It’s very uncertain.”
10:03 am: No ‘public health options off the table’ to protect the American public, HHS Alex Azar says
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday the administration will not take “any public health options off the table” to protect Americans from the coronavirus, which has infected five U.S. citizens. He added that the risk of infection remains low for the American public and that U.S. health officials are taking all necessary precautions.
9:30 am: Coronavirus cases top 8,200 — surpassing 2003 SARS outbreak in less than a month
More than 8,200 coronavirus cases have now been confirmed across the world, outpacing the total number of infections over the nine-month SARS outbreak in less than a month. As of Thursday morning, there were 8,123 confirmed cases in mainland China alone, according to Chinese state media, and more than 100 cases elsewhere around the world. The new virus first emerged in Wuhan, China on Dec. 31. The deadly SARS virus, by comparison infected a total of 8,098 people globally from Nov. 1, 2002, through July 31, 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
9:20 am: Wilbur Ross says coronavirus could bring jobs, manufacturing back to the US
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the coronavirus could have a positive impact on the U.S. economy. “I don’t want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease,” Ross told Fox Business Network. “But the fact is, it does give businesses another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain.”
″I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America,” he said. “Some to the U.S., some to Mexico as well.”
8:15 am: Cruise ship holds 6,000 passengers near Italy
Costa Cruises is holding 6,000 passengers aboard the Costa Smeralda near Italy after a Chinese woman came down with a fever, raising concern that she may have the virus, Italian news agency Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata reported. The cruise line Costa Cruises said in a statement that it is holding the 54-year-old woman from Macao in isolation along with her travel companion. “The Health Authority has been immediately notified and is now on board to conduct all the pertinent measures,” the company said. “It is our utmost priority to ensure the health and safety of passengers and crew.”
7:48 am: Russia closes border with China
Russia plans to close its border with China to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to the country’s state media. “A corresponding instruction was signed today. Work on it is already in progress. We will inform all those concerned properly about the measures to close the border in the Far Eastern region and other steps the government has taken (to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Russia),” Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin told the TASS news agency.
7 am: Outbreak reaches nearly 8,000 with 170 deaths in China
The total number of cases reached more than 7,900 worldwide with 170 deaths in China, Chinese and international health authorities said. The majority of cases are in mainland China, with at least 7,801 cases, exceeding the total number of SARS cases in that country during the 2003 epidemic. At least 101 other cases have been reported across more than a dozen countries across the globe, including the U.S.
5:46 am: US State Department says more flights from Wuhan are scheduled for Monday
More evacuation flights from the city of Wuhan for U.S. citizens will take place Monday, the State Department said. Reuters reported that those on the flights would be subject to screenings and monitoring requirements.
