By Ben Westcott, Adam Renton, Tara John, Mike Hayes and Meg Wagner, CNN
From CNN’s Ben Tinker
The World Bank on Tuesday announced up to $12 billion in support for the more than 60 countries affected by the coronavirus.
According to a release, the international financial institution said the package aims to help member countries respond and “lessen the tragic impacts" of coronavirus, also known as covid-19.
“We are working to provide a fast, flexible response based on developing country needs in dealing with the spread of COVID-19,” World Bank Group President David Malpass said.
From CNN's Amanda Watts
There are now 118 cases of the novel coronavirus, including nine deaths, in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as state and local governments.
According to the CDC, there are 48 cases from repatriated citizens. According to CNN Health’s tally of US cases that are detected and tested through the US public health systems, there are 70 cases in 13 states.
This includes presumptive positive cases that tested positive in a public health lab and are pending confirmation from the CDC, and confirmed cases that have received positive results from the CDC.
Here's a breakdown of the US cases by state:
At least nine people have died from coronavirus in Washington state.
Eight people have died in King County, Department of Health officials said. There's a total of 21 cases in the county.
Earlier, one person in Snohomish County died. The county has had six cases.
President Trump said today that the administration is " looking at other countries that have been badly affected" and is considering cutting off travel to those locations.
"We don't want to do that, but we're looking at other countries and we're being very stringent," he said.
Asked what countries they are looking at, Trump said, "We're watching Italy very closely, South Korea very closely, even Japan very closely, and we'll make the right determination at the right time."
From CNN’s Michael Nedelman and Arman Azad
The United States is on the brink of a larger coronavirus outbreak that may reflect uncontained spread in other countries, according to a top official with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"What is happening now in the United States may be the beginning of what is happening abroad,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters Tuesday. "We will continue to maintain, for as long as practical, an aggressive national posture of containment. That said, you might see some local communities taking specific actions to mitigate the disease.”
While containment efforts focus on identifying and isolating cases of the novel coronavirus, Messonnier warned that mitigation efforts – those that seek to reduce the virus’ impact on communities once it’s already spreading – may be coming.
“As more areas see community spread, local communities may start employing tools that encourage social distancing,” she said. “The goal of social distancing is to limit exposure by reducing face-to-face contact and preventing spread among people in community settings.”
From CNN’s Anneken Tappe
The 10-year Treasury bond yield dropped below 1% for the first time in history, as investors grew increasingly worried about the novel coronavirus outbreak.
US government bond yields have been trending lower since the start of the year, but their fall accelerated as US financial markets reacted strongly over the past couple weeks to the global outbreak.
Exacerbating those fears, the Federal Reserve delivered an unscheduled half-percentage point interest rate cut today to boost the economy in the face of coronavirus. It was its first emergency cut, and the first cut of that size, since 2008. Investors don't believe it will have been its last.
The US stock market tumbled today, with the Dow tanking more than 900 points, as investors balanced the economic jolt of the Fed's rate cut with the statement the cut makes about the potential damage coronavirus could do to the American economy.
From CNN’s Vasco Cotovio in London
The novel coronavirus has killed four people as of Tuesday afternoon, with the number of cases rising to 212, the head of France’s Public Health Service Jerome Salomon said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
According to Salomon, 12 people have recovered from the disease and 13 French regions have now reported cases.
President Trump will donate his salary from the last quarter of 2019 to the Department of Health and Human Services as the department works on combating coronavirus, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
Since taking office, Trump has donated his salary to a variety of government agencies and efforts, including the Surgeon General's Office, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
You coronavirus questions, answered
In general, the public should do "what you do every cold and flu season," said Dr. John Wiesman, the health secretary in Washington state.
That includes washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
The World Health Organization recommends staying at least 3 feet away from anyone who may be infected.
If you're the one feeling sick, cover your entire mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. But don't use your hands. Use either your bent elbow or a tissue that you throw away immediately afterward.
