San Francisco Declares a Local Emergency to Prepare for Possible Coronavirus Community Spread

San Francisco–Mayor London N. Breed of San Francisco today made an emergency declaration to strengthen the City’s preparedness to respond to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).

“Although there are still zero confirmed cases in San Francisco residents, the global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness,” said Mayor Breed. “We see the virus spreading in new parts of the world every day, and we are taking the necessary steps to protect San Franciscans from harm.”

The declaration of a local emergency is a legal document that will mobilize City resources, accelerate emergency planning, streamline staffing, coordinate agencies across the city, allow for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments and raise awareness throughout San Francisco about how everyone can prepare in the event that COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) appears in the community.

Santa Clara and San Diego counties have issued similar declarations to bolster their preparedness. The San Francisco declaration is effective immediately for seven days, and it will be voted on by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 3rd.

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