On Wednesday morning, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said his organization is "deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity" of the outbreak.
More than 125,000 people have tested positive for the virus, with 4,607 deaths. In the United States, 25 of the 32 reported deaths have occurred in Washington State, where public gatherings of more than 250 people have been banned. A similar ban is in effect in San Francisco.
Major League Baseball has barred the media from all spring training clubhouses, citing the need to limit or avoid "close contact" (defined as within six feet, for ten or more minutes).