The Associated Press said Friday it would temporarily close its office in Washington, D.C. after a staffer who had direct contact with a possible coronavirus patient showed some symptoms of illness.

The staffer was one of hundreds of journalists at the NICAR journalism convention in New Orleans from March 5-8. The conference announced to participants late Tuesday that an attendee had tested positive for the virus, and AP journalists who attended the event were asked to work from home from that point forward. All employees in the office were offered the option to work from home beginning Wednes...