Timeline: Trump administration’s response to coronavirus

The Associated Press becomes one of the first English language news accounts to report that China is investigating an “outbreak of respiratory illness in the central city of Wuhan.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns Americans to take precautions if traveling to China.

The CDC’s Emergency Operations Center activates a COVID-19 Incident Management System,  used to direct operations, deliver resources and share information.

The CDC issues an alert about the coronavirus, saying it is “closely monitoring” the disease and that there are “no known U.S. cases.”

The World Health Organization issues a statement about the first COVID-19 case outside of China, saying, “There is no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.”

The CDC holds its first COVID-19 telebriefing. Officials say that the agency  will start  screening passengers on direct or connecting flights from Wuhan. However, they said that they are not aware of measures regarding exit screening in Wuhan.

The first case of the coronavirus in the U.S. is confirmed in a patient near Seattle.

While at the World Economic Forum  in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump is asked whether he has a plan to contain the coronavirus in the U.S. Trump responds by saying that the U.S. does have a plan and that he thinks it’s “going to be handled very well.” He also said that he thinks China is in “very good shape.”

Trump announces the creation of the President’s Coronavirus Task Force to lead the “United States government response to the novel 2019 coronavirus and with keeping him apprised of developments.” The White House said the task force was being led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar.

The New York City Fire Department instructs 911 dispatchers on special procedures to follow if a caller presents coronavirus-like symptoms, including fever and cough.

The Trump administration suspends entry into the United States by foreign nationals who traveled to China within the last 14 days (excluding Hong Kong and Macau). This does not apply to lawful U.S. residents and family members/ spouses of U.S. residents or citizens.

Azar declares a U.S. public health emergency for COVID-19. The declaration was retroactive to Jan. 27.

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, two former senior U.S. officials call on the Trump administration to launch broader surveillance testing to find infected patients and isolate them, and urge the FDA to allow private labs to develop diagnostic tests.

Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, announces a decision to direct all flights from the United States carrying people who recently traveled to China to arrive at certain United States airports with enhanced screening procedures.

The first U.S. citizen diagnosed with the coronavirus dies in Wuhan, China, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing says.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces a U.S. pledge of $100 million to help China and other countries combat the coronavirus. The pledge is also mentioned in an HHS press briefing with members of the coronavirus task force.

The CDC issues an order requiring airlines to provide information about any passenger coming from China within 14 days of their entry into the U.S.

The White House asks Congress for $1.25 billion in new funding to help with coronavirus response. The administration also asked to move $535 million more from an Ebola preparedness account.

At a news conference in India, Trump says that the coronavirus is “well under control” and that there are “very few people with it.”

That day, his top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, tells CNBC that the U.S. has “contained” the coronavirus and that the outbreak is unlikely to be an “economic tragedy.”

The U.S. military announces that a  service member stationed in South Korea tested positive for the coronavirus. The 23-year-old soldier is the first service member to test positive for the virus.

In Washington, after a closed-door briefing with health officials. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he was “disappointed” that the administration was not doing more to adequately prepare for a potential  epidemic, including stockpiling medical devices and protective equipment.

In a CDC telebriefing, the agency says they expect community spread of the coronavirus. “It’s not so much a question of if this will happen anymore but rather more a question of exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Trump announces that Vice President Mike Pence will head the U.S. response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Washington Post reports that a whistleblower complaint claimed that the Department of Health and Human Services sent more than a dozen workers without proper training or protective gear to assist with Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China. This account was later confirmed to NBC News by the whistleblower’s lawyer.

First U.S. death related to the coronavirus is announced after an individual in Washington state dies from the illness.

That same day, Trump and Pence announce additional travel restrictions involving Iran and an advisory against traveling to certain parts of Italy and South Korea.

The FDA issues a new policy allowing for certain labs to develop and begin using COVID-19 tests before the agency completes its review of Emergency Use Authorization requests. According to the FDA, the move is aimed at  expanding testing capacity in the U.S.

Trump and members of the coronavirus task force meet with pharmaceutical companies to discuss speeding up the development of a vaccine and treatments for the coronavirus.

Trump claims some of the companies said that a vaccine would be ready in three to four months. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,  Dr. Anthony Fauci, later clarified that a year to a year and a half would be a more accurate timetable.

NBC News reports that FEMA is planning for the possibility that Trump could make an emergency declaration under the Stafford Act.

March 3: In an off-camera briefing, Pence says the administration will issue new guidance to the CDC that will “make clear that any American can be tested, no restrictions, subject to doctor’s orders.”

The Federal Reserve announces an emergency rate cut  of half a percentage point to address the outbreak’s impact on the economy.

The SEC announces it is providing “conditional regulatory relief” for companies affected by the coronavirus.

Trump signs an $8.3 billion spending package to combat the coronavirus. This comes a day after the Senate approved the House-passed legislation.

Trump travels to CDC headquarters in Atlanta and at one point says he “wouldn’t generally be inclined” to cancel travel and social gatherings.

The Trump administration grants tariff relief for masks and other medical items imported from China.

Tom Bossert, Trump’s former pandemic adviser, publishes an op-ed in The Washington Post advocating for social distancing and school closures to slow the spread of the disease.

In a CDC telebriefing, Messonier notes that adults 60 and older run a higher risk of infection.

The Grand Princess cruise ship docks in Oakland, California, as passengers head to hospitals and quarantine. In a March 10 news conference, Pence described the federal government's efforts with Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state of California as “a seamless partnership."

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin holds a call with the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets to discuss the economic impact of COVID-19.

Trump announces that the U.S. is banning foreign travelers from 26 countries in Europe for 30 days. The ban is set to go into effect March 13. The White House also clarified that the ban covers people and not goods. The president also announces that the Small Business Administration will provide low-interest loans to small businesses affected by disruptions caused by the virus.

Separately, the White House Coronavirus Task Force announces 30-day mitigation strategies for part of Washington state, California and New Rochelle, New York.

The State Department issues a Global Level 3 Health Advisory calling on U.S. citizens to reconsider traveling abroad.

The World Health Organization announces that COVID-19 can now be characterized as a pandemic.

Reuters reports that the White House has ordered federal health officials to treat top-level coronavirus meetings as classified. Sources told the news outlet that “dozens of classified discussions” about the coronavirus have taken place since mid-January and that “some very critical people who did not have security clearances” had been left out.

At a House hearing about coronavirus test kits, Fauci admits the U.S. is not where it needs to be in terms of testing capabilities.

"The system is not really geared to what we need right now," he said. "That is a failing. Let's admit it."

In a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Trump says travel restrictions within the United States are a possibility. He pointed to New Rochelle as an example, saying that it’s a “hotspot” and that the containment zone “is not enforced.”

When asked about reports of physicians being unable to test potential coronavirus patients, Trump said there were a “million tests out now” and that there will be 4 million in the following days. “If you go to the right agency, if you go to the right area, you get the test,” he said.

In a televised address, Trump declares a national emergency. He also said there are discussions to make drive-through tests available across “critical locations.”

The Bureau of Prisons announces that social visits at 122 of its prisons will be suspended for 30 days.

The FDA issues enforcement discretion to the New York State Department of Health for certain labs to begin COVID-19 testing.

DHS issues a notice on new arrival restrictions for people returning from certain European countries, Iran and China. The new guidelines require that passengers  travel through 13 select airports as well as undergo “enhanced entry screening.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., announces that Democrats have reached an agreement with the administration to pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, an emergency response package that  addresses economic, food and health concerns for those affected by the coronavirus. This comes after Mnuchin and Pelosi had several conversations about a coronavirus legislative package  amid Trump’s call for Congress to take legislative action.

The Department of Defense announces a domestic travel ban on DOD civilians, service members and their families.

White House physician Sean P. Conley announces that Trump has tested negative for the coronavirus. The announcement comes in light of reports that the president had been in contact with multiple people at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida who had tested positive for the virus.

The White House announces that the European travel ban will be expanded to include the United Kingdom and Ireland beginning midnight on March 16.

The CDC issues guidance recommending that gatherings of 50 or more people should be canceled for the next eight weeks.

The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates to nearly zero to  support “economic activity” and “strong labor market conditions” amid the effects of the outbreak.

The German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reports that Trump had offered funds to the German firm CureVac for a vaccine exclusively for the U.S.

The Peace Corps announces it will temporarily suspend all global operations and begin evacuating volunteers.