US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday he was 'thinking about' the closure of the southern US border with Mexico as a precaution against the spread of Wuhan coronavirus.
Mexico on Friday announced three coronavirus cases in people who had made recent trips to Italy, becoming the second Latin American state to register the disease.
In the US, the first death as a result of the Wuhan coronavirus was announced in the state of Washington on Saturday, with three more cases reported in California, Washington and Oregon.
In the meantime, the Trump administration authorized new travel restrictions on Iran, which include an entry ban for any foreigner who has been to the Middle eastern nation over a two-week period.
A Level 4 advisory - the highest level - was issued in relation to other countries that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak - Italy and South Korea - warning US citizens against travelling to specific regions in these nations.
The deadly coronavirus was first detected in China's Wuhan late last year. The virus has spread across 50 countries, claiming over 2,800 lives - mostly in China - and has infected some 80,000.