The New York Police Department is handing out gloves, face masks and wipes to city cops in preparing for the coronavirus, reports the New York Post.
“We put out disinfectant to each and every command. As of now there’s nothing in New York City. But we’ve sat down with counterterrorism, our doctors, and [discussed] what the threat may be,” the NYPD’s Chief of Department Terence Monahan told reporters during a briefing Wednesday.
“So we’re prepared, our men and women are prepared if and when it hits the city. The equipment’s already been out. We have a lot more in store.”
Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a day earlier said the coronavirus, which started in Wuhan, China, has been contained with an “aggressive approach in the United States,” but cautioned that preparations need to be in place in case things change.
"We've been able to keep the numbers down," Schuchat said in an interview on "CBS This Morning."
"It can be a confusing time right now, as we've seen the coronavirus spread in China and now in a number of other countries," Schuchat told CBS.
Another CDC official Tuesday warned of an imminent coronavirus pandemic that could create "significant disruption" in Americans' lives.