Face of Nation International : The U.S. Centers for Disease Control issued a request Saturday night asking residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to curtail non-essential travel in order to help limit the spread of the coronavirus.
It delivered the details of what President Donald Trump called a “strong travel advisory” for the three states.
“The CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately,” the Atlanta-based agency said on its website Saturday around 10 p.m. EDT.
It noted, “This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply.”
The CDC said the governors of the tri-state area “will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory.”
New York City has emerged as the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in America with nearly 30,000 cases, making up 57% of the state’s total of 52,318. New Jersey has over 11,100 and Connecticut has more than 1,500.
Earlier in the day Trump had floated the possibility of quarantining his hometown of New York City. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hot spot,” Trump told reporters from the White House South Lawn as he departed for Norfolk, Virginia, to see the U.S. Naval ship Comfort depart for New York. “I’m thinking about that right now.”
The idea drew a strong rebuke from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said the restrictions would pit state versus state and were likely illegal. (Source: USA Today News – USA)