Coronavirus US: Department of Health ‘hit by a cyber attack’

Department of Health and Human Services ‘is hit by a cyber attack’ during coronavirus response

• Sources say the incident was targeted at slowing systems but did not do so
• It forced the National Security Council to tweet Sunday night: ‘Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown’
• The government is said to have realized false information had been distributed, forcing the tweet, and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has been told 
• There is no indication who carried out the hack and no official confirmation
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor? 
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?

By Lauren Fruen For Dailymail.com

Published: 13:46 GMT, 16 March 2020 | Updated: 18:48 GMT, 16 March 2020

The Department of Health and Human Services is thought to have been hit by a cyber attack during its response to the coronavirus over the weekend. 

Sources told Bloomberg the incident was targeted at slowing their systems but did not do so.

It forced the National Security Council to tweet late on Sunday night: ‘Text message rumors of a national #quarantine are FAKE. There is no national lockdown.

‘@CDC has and will continue to post the latest guidance on #COVID19. #coronavirus’   

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Hubert H. Humphrey Building

The hack forced the National Security Council to tweet late on Sunday night

 The government is said to have realized false information had been distributed, forcing the tweet, and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo has been told. 

There has been no indication on who carried out the attack and no official comment or confirmation of the attack.

John Cohen, a former acting Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security, told ABC: ‘As federal state and local governments focus on handling the current public crisis, national security officials are also tracking other threats, in particular those posed by terrorist or extremist groups and foreign adversaries who may seek to take advantage of all of the attention being focused on the coronavirus and conduct an attack.’

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday night advised against holding large gatherings of more than 50 people for at least eight weeks to fight coronavirus.

The closures as a result of the spreading virus included:  

• New York City will begin closing restaurants and bars on Tuesday
• Ohio, which ordered closures to begin on Sunday and last indefinitely
• Illinois, which ordered closures of establishments to begin on Monday
• In Massachusetts, bar owners will begin to shut their doors on Tuesday
• Las Vegas meg resorts have also closed their doors over the virus fears
• Washington state officials ordered bars to close beginning on Monday
• Meanwhile, California officials has asked bars to shutdown temporarily
• Denver will make announcement about closures on Monday at 11am  

The recommendations led to four states ordering bars and restaurants to effectively shut – limiting them to take out only – and New York City ordered the same as well as the shutting down of nightclubs, cinemas and theaters.

Washington, Ohio, Illinois and Massachusetts all ordered bars and restaurants to offer take out food only. 

California has asked all bars to shut and Los Angeles has ordered owners of establishments to shut them down.

Las Vegas mega resorts owned by MGM and Wynn also announced on Sunday they will be halting operations of all Nevada hotels and casinos as the virus continues its spread.

At least 69 people have died from COVID-19 there are more than 3,800 confirmed cases nationwide. 

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