Missouri

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)

St. Louis officials are declaring a public health emergency in light of the continued spread of novel coronavirus.

Mayor Lyda Krewson said Thursday that the city government and city health department are declaring a public health emergency and prohibiting events with more than 1,000 attendees. The emergency is in effect "until further notice," Krewson said on Twitter.

Today, in order to be proactive and protect and safeguard the health and safety of the public, @STLCityGov and @CityofSTLDOH are declaring a public health emergency and are prohibiting events with attendees in excess of 1,000 people until further notice. #COVID19 — Mayor Lyda Krewson (@LydaKrewson) March 12, 2020

The move comes hours after Kansas City's mayor declared a state of emergency there. Several major events were also canceled Thursday, including the NCAA basketball championship and the SEC basketball tournament.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the continuing spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, a global pandemic. More than 1,300 people have tested positive for the virus in the United States with more than 30 deaths.

Twenty people in St. Louis and St. Louis County are being monitored for signs of the disease, city officials said.