Americans face shutdown as coronavirus keeps spreading

NEW YORK, Mar 16 (APP):The rapid spread of the coronavirus is disrupting basic aspects of daily life across the United States, with American health officials recommending that groups of 50 or more don’t get together and a government expert saying a 14-day national shutdown may be needed to contain the outbreak.

Dr. Antony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, endorsed a 14-day “national shutdown” in a bid to slow down the virus.

On MSNBC-TV’s “Meet the Press” programme, Fauci called for an aggressive approach and said that he has discussed his proposal with the administration, which is generally open to his ideas.

“I think Americans should be prepared that they are going to have to hunker down significantly more than we as a country are doing,” he said.

Schools, businesses and places of worship near the country’s hotspots are closing down, and public events and private conferences have been canceled, as public health officials are warning against international travel.

Meanwhile, older people, who are most vulnerable to the disease, have been warned in some areas to limit their time outside as much as possible.

Travelers returning home from abroad were stuck in line for hours at major airports for screenings, crammed into just the kind of crowded spaces that public health officials have urged people to avoid.

In a sign of impending economic gloom, the Federal Reserve slashed its benchmark interest rate to near zero.

Following a weekend spent indoors, away from neighbours, friends, and communities of worship, experts say the people here now face a new week with new restrictions designed to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Millions of students are out of school. Restaurants and public entertainment venues are also closing down.

As U.S. coronavirus cases have climbed — there are at least 3,485 cases and 65 fatalities —so too have efforts to prevent future spread.

Social distancing, a preventative measure encouraged by health and government officials, is altering the way people in the US eat, work, study and socialize.

President Donald Trump sought to calm a nervous nation by declaring the government has “tremendous control” over the situation and urging people to stop the panic buying of grocery staples that has depleted store shelves nationwide.

Even before the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued its warning and recommendations, parts of the country already look like ghost towns, and others are about to follow as theme parks closed, beaches shooed away spring breakers.