In China, authorities have sealed off the city of Wudan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 17 people and sickened more than 500. The virus has also spread to Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, South Korea and the United States. The World Health Organization called the lockdown of the city of 11 million people unprecedented. Two smaller Chinese cities, Huanggang and Ezhou, have also imposed travel restrictions. The World Health Organization is weighing whether to declare a global public health emergency. This is Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Anthony Fauci: “The risk to the United States for this to be a big problem or even a problem at all is very low. That doesn’t mean we should not take it seriously. We are taking it very seriously. All the various agencies that are involved in the federal government response is taking this very seriously. But the message to the general public is that this is something that you should not be worrying about at night that this is going to be some sort of serious issue for you.”