San Francisco declares state of emergency over possible spread of coronavirus

San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for the city to heighten preparedness for the possible spread of the novel coronavirus as more cases of infections were reported worldwide.

“Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness,” Breed said.

“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,” she added.

The San Francisco emergency declaration is effective immediately for seven days, which will be voted on by the city’s Board of Supervisors on March 3.

The local emergency measure came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned earlier in the day of a wider circulation of the virus in the country.