A Miami-based attorney cited the case of a 50-year-old New York lawyer who has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in asking permission to attend a federal bond hearing by telephone next week, saying that he feared air travel to and from the court would put him at risk of contracting the spreading illness.

The filing, from Miami-based David Garvin, a criminal tax attorney, came as public health officials confirmed at least 137 cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and law firms across the globe beefed up safety measures in light of the mounting threat.