Houston Zoo family & friends: As a public health precaution related to the constantly evolving situation regarding the coronavirus, the Zoo will be temporarily closing to the public effective today, March 13 at 7 pm through April 3. Read full update here: https://t.co/vHBKOqqZb7 pic.twitter.com/LhmeL9fEXg — Houston Zoo (@houstonzoo) March 13, 2020

IF YOU FEEL SICK, STAY AT HOME - If you have a mild illness, respiratory symptoms, or have a fever (38 C or 100.4 F or above), stay home and keep away from others. If your symptoms get worse, call your doctor.

WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY - Wash your hands with liquid soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to disinfect your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

COVER YOUR COUGH OR SNEEZE - Use a tissue to cover your cough or sneeze and throw the tissue in the trash, then wash your hands. If you don't have a tissue within reach, cough or sneeze into your elbow.

CLEAN AND DISINFECT YOUR VEHICLE - Pay special attention to surfaces that you and passengers frequently come in contact with.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth with unclean hands.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

At home and at work, clean frequently touched surfaces.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home if you are sick.

Rest assured, according to the CDC, the coronavirus is not related to any food products.

International travel - We are restricting all cross-border international travel to business-critical trips. This applies to all the markets in which we operate. Any such trip must be approved by the Executive Council member for your area or your in-country CEO for International. We will of course make proper arrangements for associates on international travel to return home safely. If you're currently traveling, work with your management and travel team to plan your return.

Domestic travel - In the U.S., we will continue domestic travel related to essential operations, which includes store and club visits. However, we will restrict less essential travel related to conferences, trade shows and other events. Consult your leadership team if you have questions about a domestic travel decision. Outside of the U.S., each country president will establish or alter their domestic travel guidelines as appropriate.

Group meetings - Let's be selective about which group meetings occur during this period. In the U.S., we are cancelling the Walmart U.S. Customer Conference (formerly Year Beginning Meeting) that was scheduled to be in Dallas next week. It seems best to cancel given the size of that meeting, plus the benefit of having our store managers present in their stores during this time. We will have a virtual form of the meeting to share some key points. Within our offices, we will continue to gather in groups for meetings (e.g. Town Hall meetings); however, we don't want you to travel for them. Let's use video conferencing or call in rather than travel.

"On every journey you take with American Airlines, your safety and well-being, and that of our team members, is our top priority. Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a complicated and fluid situation, and we continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Department of State and public health officials on the latest developments.



Having information on our response is a critical step in giving you peace of mind during travel. Here's what we're doing to ensure your safe journey with us:



Our aircraft

Our cleaning practices have always met or exceeded all CDC guidelines. We have a strong, structured cleaning regimen and our aircraft are cleaned each day at key touchpoints on their journeys with an EPA-approved disinfectant. International flights and aircraft with additional time on the ground receive a detailed 30-point cleaning package each day. All of our aircraft also undergo a deep cleaning procedure on a regularly scheduled basis. We are enhancing our cleaning procedures on international flights and aircraft that remain overnight at an airport. This move, which will touch the majority of our aircraft each day, includes a more thorough cleaning of all hard surfaces, including tray tables and armrests. Most of our aircraft are equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that provide a complete air change approximately 15 to 30 times per hour, or once every two to four minutes. A HEPA filter's complete air change is better than most other forms of transportation and office buildings' and similar to the standard for hospitals. We're provisioning hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes for crew members on all international flights across the Pacific Ocean and to Italy. We are working to expand this measure to all flights in the near future.



Our inflight dining and beverages

All catering equipment on key international flights is undergoing additional sanitation and disinfection procedures:

All tableware, dishes, cutlery and glassware are being sanitized/disinfected before washing. All unused inbound supplies are being discarded. Inbound linen and headphones are being sanitized separately. All galley equipment, including carts and carriers, are being sanitized separately. On key international flights, mid-cabin bar service will be adjusted and self-serve snack and fruit baskets will be removed. Flight attendants will provide food and beverage items upon request.



Our airports

American works closely with airport authorities and government agencies to maintain a safe, clean environment for our customers and team members. This includes our own extensive protocol for cleaning customer and team member areas throughout the airport. Sanitizing wipes are also available for our team members and hand sanitizing stations are available for customers in key locations throughout the airport.



In guidance with health officials, we urge customers not to travel when sick with an acute respiratory illness. We also encourage our customers to travel with hand sanitizer. To learn more about protecting yourself from COVID-19, visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/coronavirus."

Having information on our response is a critical step in giving you peace of mind during travel. Here's what we're doing to ensure your safe journey with us: Our aircraft Our inflight dining and beverages All catering equipment on key international flights is undergoing additional sanitation and disinfection procedures: Our airports In guidance with health officials, we urge customers not to travel when sick with an acute respiratory illness. We also encourage our customers to travel with hand sanitizer. To learn more about protecting yourself from COVID-19, visit the CDC website at cdc.gov/coronavirus."

A note from Delta CEO Ed Bastian.



Learn more about our response to Covid-19 (coronavirus): https://t.co/nFi7eLKMwX pic.twitter.com/TwLoPk09sB — Delta (@Delta) March 6, 2020

Patients and visitors should plan ahead. Check your institution's website for specific visitor policy information.

If patients are not feeling well, they should contact their care team for direction before traveling to the appointment.

If visitors are not feeling well, they should stay home.

Most institutions only allow two visitors at a time, per patient. Visitors must be 18 or older and cannot have symptoms of fever, cough or shortness of breath.

Allow extra time as building entrances have been reduced and health screenings are taking place at these entrances. Screenings include questions about recent travel, current health and a possible temperature check.

People who do not have a critical reason to be at the hospital or health care site should stay home.

The best way to prevent the spread of germs is proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.

MD Anderson will start screening patients and visitors for #COVID2019 symptoms at six entrances on our TMC campus tomorrow, Friday, 3/13. This will affect how patients and visitors enter the Main Building and Mays Clinic, and how employees enter Main, Mays and Pickens Tower. 1/6 pic.twitter.com/UnsrSFrqb2 — MD Anderson Cancer Center (@MDAndersonNews) March 13, 2020

Effective immediately and until further notice, each HCA Houston Healthcare hospital will allow two visitors at a time per patient. Visiting hours are 6AM to 6PM.

Under the new visitation rules, one visitor can stay overnight with laboring mothers, NICU and pediatric patients.

Entry points at each HCA Houston Healthcare hospital also are now staffed to screen visitors based on the health system's protocols for identifying and assessing for COVID-19.

Additionally, all visitors to the hospital will be screened by answering a series of questions about recent travel and current health.

Each hospital will maintain a separate employee entrance.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After several confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the Houston-area, many people have become concerned about their health and safety in public spaces.The following are statements from popular local and national businesses regarding the virus:"The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak continues to evolve rapidly. The safety of our customers and employees is and always will be our top priority.Our teams are in daily contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), federal agencies and other global health organizations to share the most up-to-the-minute information. What's more, United has a team of in-house professionals, including an industrial hygienist who reviews and tests cleaning products and a corporate medical team who are working around the clock. United also partners with International SOS/MedAire, an organization that gives all employees ready access to an emergency department doctor for advice and assistance when they are on business outside their home country.The dynamic nature of this outbreak requires us to be nimble and flexible in how we respond, provide service and protect our customers and employees. Here are some of the ways we are taking action - we'll continue to update this post periodically as new details are available.Change fee waiverWe're waiving change fees for any bookings - domestic and international - made between March 3 and March 31, 2020.The waiver applies to all tickets, all fare types, all destinations, all points-of-sale and all travel dates available for sale.For more information visit https://www.united.com/ual/en/us/fly/travel/notices.html.Aircraft cleaningAll aircraft are cleaned at a variety of touchpoints throughout the day.The cleaning procedure for flights includes a thorough wipe-down of all hard surfaces touched by customers and employees - including lavatories, galleys, tray tables, window shades and armrests.United uses an effective, high-grade disinfectant and multi-purpose cleaner.When we are advised by the CDC of an employee or customer who has traveled onboard and who is potentially exhibiting coronavirus symptoms, that aircraft is taken out of service and sent through a full decontamination process that includes our standard cleaning procedures plus washing ceilings and overhead bins and scrubbing the interior.United aircraft are equipped with state-of-the-art circulation systems, similar to those found in hospitals, which use a high-efficiency (HEPA) filter to circulate the air and removes up to 99.7% of airborne particles.Soon, we will start using an electrostatic fogger to disinfect the air and surfaces within the cabin on all international arrivals into our U.S. Hubs, Honolulu and Guam.In flightTo limit person-to-person contamination, we have instituted the following procedures on board:We have stopped refilling used cups and glasses in all cabins. If a customer requests a refill, our flight attendants will provide a new cup or glass.Customers may now see flight attendants wearing gloves during food and beverage service as well as during pickup, in all cabins.Our flight attendants will hand all beverages directly to the customer, instead of allowing the customer to take their own from the tray.All tableware, dishes, cutlery, carts and glassware are washed and sanitized.We've added supplies for our crews on segments flown to Alert Level 2 zones* and upward: gloves, masks, alcohol-based hand sanitizer, Sani-Com wipes, foaming hand soap, and disinfectant wipes as supply becomes available.*Alert Level 2 zones, as defined by the CDC, can be found here.In airportsProviding hand sanitizer for use in our crew and break rooms, lounges and gatesEnsuring regular disinfection of common surfaces inside our airport terminalsWhat you can doAccording to the CDC, the National Safety Council, and the WHO:Wash your hands often - and thoroughly - with soap and water for at least 20 secondsAlcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content is a good secondary optionCover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezingAvoid touching your nose, mouth and eyes with unwashed handsUse gloves and masks as neededGet a flu shot if you haven't alreadyIf you're sick - stay homeHow to stay informedFor more detailed information about COVID-19, how it spreads and prevention and treatment please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.htmlAlso, the CDC has updated their country index page where you can find up-to-date COVID-19 risk assessments by country."Regional health care providers in the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world, are now working together to implement measures that can decrease transmission of the coronavirus.The institutions are calling on anyone visiting a hospital or health care site to consider the following:MD Anderson will start screening patients and visitors for COVID-19 symptoms at six of its locations starting Friday.In response to several positive novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the greater Houston area, HCA Houston Healthcare has initiated new visitor policies at its 13 hospitals to safeguard staff and patients at each facility.