PRESIDENT Donald Trump pulled back from a plan to quarantine New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Saturday, hours after NY Governor Andrew Cuomo blasted the plan as "illegal" and a "declaration of war."

Cuomo told CNN on Saturday: "If you start walling off areas all across the country it would just be totally bizarre, counter-productive, anti-American, anti-social."

10 President Donald Trump, speaking near the USNS Comfort in Virginia, says he is considering quarantining the tri-state area for 14 days Credit: AP:Associated Press

The Governor continued: "This is a civil war kind of discussion.

"I don't believe that any administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states.

"It makes absolutely no sense and I don't think any serious governmental personality or professional would support it."

He said such a move would amount to a “federal declaration of war.”

Trump responded late Saturday saying a quarantine will "not be necessary."

10 Credit: Twitter

10 Credit: Twitter

The President made the announcement on Twitter, saying: "On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor’s of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!"

10 "I don't believe that any administration could be serious about physical lockdowns of states," Cuomo said. Credit: CNN

The backlash came after Trump said he was mulling a 14-day quarantine for the tri-state area, as the number of cases in the northeast continues to grow.

"If you are from the New York metropolitan area, and you travel elsewhere, we need you to self-quarantine for 14 days to help us contain the spread of the virus," he said, speaking in front of the USNS Comfort hospital ship.

The U.S. Navy ship, equipped with 1,000 beds, will depart Virginia for New York to be used for coronavirus patients.

Trump continued: "I am now considering and will make a decision very quickly, very shortly, a quarantine because it's such a hot area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut."

I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing “hot spots”, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2020

"We'll be announcing that one way or the other fairly soon. "

The president said a quarantine would "not apply to people such as truckers from outside the New York area who are making deliveries or simply transiting through," and added "it won't affect trade in any way.

10

Earlier Saturday outside the White House, Trump revealed the news about a possible quarantine.

"We’d like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hotspot — New York, New Jersey, maybe one or two other places, certain parts of Connecticut quarantined," he said.

"I’m thinking about that right now. We might not have to do it but there’s a possibility that sometime today we’ll do a quarantine — short-term two weeks for New York, probably New Jersey and parts of Connecticut.”

Trump said he is considering implementing "enforceable" travel restrictions around the region.

10 Trump told reporters outside the White House earlier Saturday he was thinking about implementing a 14-day quarantine of the tri-state region Credit: Getty Images - Getty

10 A patient is wheeled to an ambulance on Saturday Credit: Reuters

“They’re having problems down in Florida, a lot of New Yorkers going down. We don’t want that,” Trump said.

“I’d rather not do it, but we might need it,” he added, noting he would not close the New York City Subway.

Trump said he spoke with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo about the idea and might make a decision later Saturday.

Last Monday, DeSantis ordered any of the state's residents who had traveled to New York to self-isolate for 14 days.

But Cuomo, at his own press conference on Saturday, said he spoke to Trump “about the ship coming up and the four sites," and said: “I didn’t speak to him about any quarantine.”

New Jersey. Gov Phil Murphy also said that while speaking with Trump recently, the idea of a quarantine wasn't discussed.

More than 100,000 cases of the coronavirus have been reported in the U.S., and New York, which has been partially locked down, is the epicenter of the country's outbreak.

In New York, at least 52,318 positive cases of the virus and 728 deaths have been reported.

New York City alone has reported 29,766 cases and at least 450 deaths.

10 A coronavirus patient using a ventilator is rushed to another hospital with more room in New York City Credit: The Mega Agency

10 New Yorkers walk on streets now closed to traffic. Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered most boroughs shut down streets, as parks were overcrowded Credit: Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc.

10 Makeshift hospitals beds pictured at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in Manhattan Credit: EPA

The state of New Jersey has reported the second-highest number with 8,825 cases of coronavirus and 108 deaths, while Connecticut has reported 1,291 with 27 deaths.

Cuomo said on Saturday New York state most likely won't see the coronavirus peak for another 14 to 21 days.

The governor said that he didn't discuss an "enforceable quarantine" with Trump.

“I don’t even know what that means. I don’t know how that could be legally enforceable," Cuomo said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo hits back at Trump after President accused him of ‘exaggerating’ New York’s need for coronavirus ventilators

"And from a medical point of view I don’t know what you would be accomplishing. But I can tell you I don’t even like the sound of it. Not even understanding what it is, I don’t even like the sound of it.”

“Mandatory quarantine is a scary concept because it sounds like you’re saying to people: ‘You can’t leave this district," Cuomo said.

MOST READ IN NEWS TRAGIC FIND 'Wrapped' body found in hunt for pregnant woman who vanished before ultrasound HERO DAD Shocking moment dad is shot as he shields kids from gunman at car dealership TERROR ALERT Eiffel Tower EVACUATED by cops after man 'threatens to detonate bomb' KILLED BY FUMES Boy, 9, poisoned by carbon monoxide after sitting at back of family's boat 'NEVER SCARED' Ex-model accusing Trump of sexual assault 'stayed in touch with him' RAPE HORROR Two men arrested for ‘raping girl, 9, & gran, 73, in horrific sex attacks’

A quarantine of the tri-state area would be a notable decision, considering many parts of the region are already following locally-ordered lockdowns.

Bars, restaurants, gyms, schools and libraries, among many other places, have been ordered to shut down to stop the spread of the virus.

Trump recently said he hopes to re-open the country by April 12 to try to strengthen the economy — despite the virus' impact.

Do you have a story for The U.S. Sun team?

Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212-416-4552.