Coronavirus compels telecommuting, travel limits for media

NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Post is encouraging its staff to work at home and the Los Angeles Times is restricting air travel, two illustrations of how news organizations compelled to cover the coronavirus outbreak are balancing the need to keep employees safe.

Both of those directives went out in memos to staff members on Tuesday. CNN also said that, as of now, its planned Democratic presidential debate Sunday between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders is on.

Washington Post Publisher and CEO Fred Ryan said the Post was encouraging, but not mandating, telecommuting for newsroom personnel if their jobs or needs for equipment permitted it. The policy is in place at least through the end of the month.

“It's a smart thing to do to minimize or eliminate what could go wrong here,” said Cameron Barr, a Post managing editor. The newspaper had preparedness plans in place, and technology allows most employees to stay connected remotely. The newsroom won't be empty, since some editors and other staff will remain.

Ryan said the newspaper would continue to operate at “full scale” despite the dispersed employees.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

The Los Angeles Times said it was suspending air travel for staff...