ATLANTA, GA (AP) – The CDC is recommending that gatherings of 50 people or more in the U.S. be canceled or postponed over the next eight weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Large events and mass gatherings can contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States via travelers who attend these events and introduce the virus to new communities,” the CDC said. It cited conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events and weddings as examples of gatherings that should be postponed.
The COVID-19 outbreak has quickly infected nearly every state in the U.S. in the matter of weeks, spreading from roughly 100 people on March 1 to almost 3,300 people by Sunday, according to data compiled by the CDC, World Health Organization and Johns Hopkins University.
Officials and businesses on Sunday took forceful measures to halt the virus’s spread.
Theme parks closed, Florida beaches shooed away spring breakers and governors in Ohio and Illinois ordered bars and restaurants shuttered. New York City, New Jersey and elsewhere are considering similar measures.
The nation’s top infectious disease official said he would like to see a 14-day national shutdown imposed, but there is no indication President Donald Trump is considering such a move.
LATEST HEADLINES:
