Coronavirus fears change art of shaking hands in US capital

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lindsey Graham is offering elbow bumps instead of handshakes, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is putting her hand over her heart in greeting. Sen. Bill Cassidy is offering up hand sanitizer and Sen. Marco Rubio is washing his hands so often that he has “to start moisturizing.”

In a city where the meet-and-greet is hardwired into the culture of political life, the coronavirus is rapidly changing the norms — even before a first case arrives in the nation's capital.

Government officials are scrambling to monitor the national situation while also taking pains to keep the virus out of their own very-public workplace. Tourism officials are admitting that virus fears will inevitably cut into what should be the start of peak tourist season.

“Obviously there will be an impact,” said Greg O'Dell, president of Events DC, which owns Washington's convention center. “For those who are comfortable traveling, we do want them to travel to our great city.”

Springtime in Washington normally brings waves of school trips and conventions, plus the thousands who come for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which starts on March 20. But the cancellations have already begun. On Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank announced that their annual spring meetings in Washington would be switched to an online “virtual format” in order to ensure the health and safety of participants.

So far the coronavirus has killed at least 3,000 people and infected more than 89,000 around the world. The virus has made small inroads into the U.S. so far. Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, director of D.C.'s health department, said there had been no reported infections in Washington so far.

Theresa Impastato, chief safety officer at the Washington Metro, told the Metro board late last month that the Metro had...