San Francisco declared a local emergency over the coronavirus on Tuesday, despite having no cases, as US officials urged Americans to prepare for the spread of infections within their communities.
California's fourth-largest city said it made the move to boost its coronavirus preparedness and raise public awareness of risks the virus may spread to the city.
"Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness," Mayor London Breed said in a statement.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told the United States on Tuesday to prepare for community spread after infections surfaced in several more countries.
The 14 confirmed US cases of coronavirus have been mostly travel related, with only two cases of person-to-person spread. There are also 39 cases among Americans evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Tokyo and from Wuhan, China.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
A Journey Through USA's Oldest Chinatown "Culture, Safety, Tech...": Indian Woman Explains Why She Chose US Over Bengaluru Attorney Sues San Francisco City After Losing Job Due to Accidental Racy 'Reply-All' Email Celebrated "Russian Spy" Whale Hvaldimir Found Dead In Norway: Report INDIA's "Hit With Footwear" Protest In Mumbai Over Shivaji Statue Collapse Video: Man Sits On Chair In Middle Of UP Road, Gets Hit By Truck Israel Recovers Bodies Of Six Hostages, Including US Citizen, From Gaza Tunnel INDIA's "Hit With Footwear" Protest In Mumbai Over Shivaji Statue Collapse Woman Posts Pic Of Auto Rickshaw With A Window, Internet Calls It "Cool" Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.