SEC first federal agency to ask staff to work remotely over coronavirus

The Securities and Exchange Commission emailed employees at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., Monday asking them to work from home after a worker with respiratory symptoms was told they could potentially have the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: The SEC is the first federal agency to take such action. It said it made the directive "effective immediately," which means people who work on the building's ninth floor must telework, out of "an abundance of caution," per the Washington Post, which first reported the news. "To the best of our knowledge, the employee remained asymptomatic during the employee’s time in the building," the SEC added.