Local emergency declared in San Francisco amid coronavirus concerns

FILE - San Francisco mayor London Breed speaks during a press conference at Hamilton Families on Nov. 21, 2019 in San Francisco. Breed has declared a state of emergency for the city amid coronavirus concerns. FILE - San Francisco mayor London Breed speaks during a press conference at Hamilton Families on Nov. 21, 2019 in San Francisco. Breed has declared a state of emergency for the city amid coronavirus concerns. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Local emergency declared in San Francisco amid coronavirus concerns 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Not long after CDC officials urged Americans to prepare for coronavirus outbreaks that will almost certainly begin to spread nationwide, Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency for the city of San Francisco.

“The global picture is changing rapidly, and we need to step-up preparedness,” Breed said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

While there are currently no cases of coronavirus in the city, the recent declaration will allow the city to secure funding, mobilize additional city resources and expedite the process of emergency planning.

"Given the high volume of travel between S.F. and mainland China, it is likely we will see one or more cases eventually. If a San Francisco case is confirmed, the Health Department will make an announcement," said Breed.

Earlier this month, a UC San Francisco hospital treated a husband and wife from San Benito County after the man had traveled to Wuhan, China and subsequently passed the virus to his wife.

Last Thursday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health confirmed another unnamed patient had tested positive for coronavirus and was being treated at a hospital in the city. They, too, had contracted the virus outside of the country on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Asia, which experienced an outbreak and was later evacuated.

"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,” said Breed.

The risk of contracting coronavirus still remains very low for the public, on the condition that they have not recently traveled to countries with confirmed outbreaks or come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the disease.

Santa Clara and San Diego counties have also issued similar declarations to ensure their cities are as prepared as possible for a potential outbreak.

Effective immediately, the declaration will last seven days, after which it will be voted on by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors on March 3.

Amanda Bartlett is an associate digital reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com | Twitter: @byabartlett