Updated Mar 28, 2020 - Health

Trump rules out quarantine in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut after pushback

Rebecca Falconer

President Donald Trump arrives back to the White House on March 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. — Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

President Trump tweeted Saturday night that he's decided not to introduce quarantine enforcement measures for New York, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, but a "strong" travel advisory would be issued for those states. The CDC has since issued a domestic travel advisory for the states.

Why it matters: Trump said hours earlier he was considering quarantine measures to combat the rise in novel coronavirus cases. But he received pushback, notably from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who told CNN such a measure would cause "chaos." "This would be a federal declaration of war on states," Cuomo added.

Zoom in: The CDC advisory urges residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut "to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately."

"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 added.
"The Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory."

What they're saying: Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said in a statement before Trump's tweets that he had been in "close communication" with Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D).

"I look forward to speaking to the President directly about his comments and any further enforcement actions, because confusion leads to panic," Lamont said.

Go deeper: Updates on coronavirus in the U.S.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with Lamont's comments and the CDC advisory.

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Trump rules out quarantine in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut after pushback

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