US President Sets Up Coronavirus Task Force to Tackle Outbreak - White House

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump has established a coronavirus task force that is set to lead the US response to the outbreak of the disease, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The Task Force will lead the Administration's efforts to monitor, contain, and mitigate the spread of the virus while ensuring that the American people have the most accurate and up-to-date health and travel information," the statement said, as quoted by US media.

According to White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham, the task force, led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, has already held three meetings since Monday. Grisham also pledged that the "risk of infection for Americans remains low."

The novel strain of coronavirus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December. It has since spread within China and to at least 16 other countries.

In the United States, five cases of the new virus have been confirmed so far, and over 90 other people are suspected of being infected. On Wednesday, Delta, United and American Airlines temporarily suspended the number of flights between the United States and China due to the outbreak.

The epidemic has already left 170 people dead and more than 7,700 infected in China.