CDC Warns Americans to Prepare for Coronavirus As Valley Gears Up for Major Events

We’ve seen images from countries where coronavirus is spreading that are frightening.

In China, strict quarantine orders enforced, in Italy, empty store shelves from panic buying and in South Korea, long lines for masks. 

“Current global circumstances suggest it’s likely that this virus will cause a pandemic,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal director with the Centers for Disease Control. 

While the outbreak is concentrated in China the virus has sickened over 80,000 thousand people and killed more than 2,700 hundred worldwide. 

It’s fast rate of spread has caused the CDC to issue a warning for the U.S..

“Now it’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more a question of exactly when,” says Schuchat.

The CDC also called for everyone to have a plan in case the virus shuts down schools, or you’re forced to stay home from work. 

“I understand this whole situation may seem overwhelming and that disruption to everyday life may be severe but these are things people need to start thinking about now,” says Dr. Messonnier, the CDC’s director for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

People we spoke in the valley told us they haven’t thought about preparing for a widespread outbreak in the U.S.. 

But with more than 400,000 people expected in the valley for the BNP Paribas Open in a week and tens of thousands more for Coachella and Stagecoach Music Festivals, has one Cathedral City resident taking notice. 

“Even with one person coming here during these big events how frightening that is,” says Joan James, adding she is thinking of stocking up on water and food for her and her cat.  

Jose Arballo, the senior public information officer for the Riverside County Department of Public Health says they work with event organizers on a regular basis, “The county is already part of the process for those large scale events,” adding they do have experience with smaller scale quarantine procedures and outbreaks but they have to constantly plan for large scale outbreaks, “At this point we’re still monitoring the situation and trying to make sure we’re prepared in case anything like that were to happen.”

We reached out to information officers for the BNP Paribas Open and Goldenvoice, the company who puts on Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals to ask how they were protecting their guests. They did not return our calls or emails.

Local school districts tell us they’re following the county’s protocol.

For more information on the coronavirus click here: CDC