Axios

United Kingdom Health Minister Nadine Dorries announced in a statement that she tested positive for the coronavirus and is now in isolation, per the BBC.

Why it matters: Dorries reportedly came into contact with hundreds of people since developing symptoms last week — including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Times first reported. The U.K. currently has 373 confirmed cases and six deaths, per Johns Hopkins University. Dorries is the first known member of Parliament to test positive for COVID-19.

Go deeper... Coronavirus updates: Trump leaves Capitol Hill without solidifying economic relief plan

Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said on Tuesday that he will self-quarantine following "a positive test for COVID-19 by a friend in Washington, D.C., with whom he recently interacted," per a statement.

Details: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) andRep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) also self-quarantined after coming into contact with someone at CPAC 2020 who tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) said she will self-quarantine after coming in contact with a confirmed case in D.C.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said at a press briefing Tuesday that while the risk of contracting the coronavirus for the average American remains "relatively low," the U.S. must realize that "as a nation we can’t be doing the kinds of things we could do a few months ago."

Why it matters: Hundreds of organizations, schools and companies have begun taking this warning seriously, canceling classes, conferences, sporting events and even political rallies as it becomes clear that the U.S. will not be able to stop the spread of the coronavirus into its borders.

The coronavirus is here and will complicate life for millions of Americans — but there are signs from Asia that it can get better if we're willing to take that pain now.

The big picture: Coronavirus is stifled by early and aggressive action — and no matter how well-intentioned, half-measures only seem to make things worse.

Rep. Matt Gaetz tested negative for the novel coronavirus after entering self-quarantine Monday due to contact with an individual at CPAC who was confirmed to have the illness.

Why it matters: Gaetz was traveling with President Trump on Air Force One about an hour before his office announced that he would go into self-quarantine.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he will deploy the National Guard to the New York City suburb New Rochelle on Tuesday to establish a 1-mile "containment zone" to help contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: The tri-state area has confirmed more than 150 cases, as New Jersey announced its first death on Tuesday. Cases in New Rochelle have spiked from community spread.

Senior Trump administration officials discussed shutting down travel from Italy and South Korea as the coronavirus outbreak worsened in those countries, but ultimately decided the virus is spreading too quickly to be contained, sources with direct knowledge of the discussions tell Axios.

Why it matters: It's extremely difficult to contain a viral outbreak in a globalized society, and if such a strategy isn't likely to be much help, it's even harder to justify the diplomatic, logistical and economic consequences.

Nursing homes should not allow visitors into their facilities who live in a place "where community-based spread of COVID-19 is occurring," or meet other criteria, according to new recommendations from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Why it matters: Older adults are especially susceptible to catching the coronavirus, so the federal government is trying to limit the spread for a vulnerable population. However, hospices don't have these visiting restrictions.

Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg, through his foundation Bloomberg Philanthropies, announced on Tuesday an online network of mayors and public health experts to help communities deal with the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Why it matters: Local officials are on the front lines of handling the economic, health and social fallout of the spread of COVID-19 virus.

The remote work plan many companies are launching in response to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus doesn't work for everyone — even in the tech industry, and even for people whose jobs involve sitting in front of a screen all day.

Why it matters: While remote work can be an important tool for helping slow the spread of the disease, it's not a panacea.

There are potentially pernicious partisan gaps on how Americans view the coronavirus outbreak and the media coverage, according to a new Axios-Survey Monkey poll.

The big picture: 62% of Republicans said news reports about the illness are "generally exaggerated" — double the 31% of Democrats who feel the same way.

The Trump administration finalized a rule Monday that would make it easier for patients to share their health data with apps, hospitals and doctors, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Between the lines: The rule is likely to benefit the growing health data industry, which uses the information to develop health care services. But opponents of the rule argue that it could also create data privacy issues.

The novel coronavirus' characteristics are slowly becoming clearer — it's quite contagious possibly before symptoms show and is more deadly if you are over 60 and/or have underlying conditions. But, a lot remains fuzzy.

Why it matters: The threat of a pandemic has "become very real" but can "still be contained," the World Health Organization said Monday. Knowing how the virus spreads and why some experience mild — and others severe — symptoms is key to bringing this global outbreak to a halt.

Coronavirus is already the most serious threat to the U.S. economy since the financial crisis, and the dominoes are aligned for a severe recession that could erase much of the 11-year recovery.

What's happening: While the outbreak itself is unlikely to drive an economic collapse, the U.S. has been something of a ticking time bomb for some time.

Federal regulators are cracking down on scams advertising unproven coronavirus treatments, and those frauds are likely to continue.

The big picture: Disease outbreaks have long created fertile ground for fraudsters to prey on the public's fears with fake or unproven treatments. COVID-19 is no different.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters Monday that a second economic relief package to combat the coronavirus outbreak could be introduced as soon as this week.

The big picture: The package, outlined by Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) Sunday, is an alternative plan to President Trump's economic proposal that would include a payroll tax cut and relief for hourly workers, which the top Democrats criticized for focusing on the stock market, rather than the outbreak.

President Trump said at a press conference Monday that he will be meeting with Senate Republican leaders tomorrow to discuss proposals for a "very substantial" payroll tax cut and relief for hourly workers in order to stem economic damage from the coronavirus outbreak.

The big picture: Spiraling concerns over the global impacts of the coronavirus have sent the stock market into free fall, with some investors increasingly worried that a recession is inevitable. Stocks closed 7% down on Monday amid coronavirus fears and tanking oil prices, capping the most dramatic day since the depths of the financial crisis.

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.