CDC asks New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents to 'refrain' from nonessential travel

Jayme Deerwester | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption New York gets hospital ship, possible quarantine US President Donald Trump floated the idea of a quarantine as early as Saturday affecting residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for a short time to stop the spread of coronavirus from reaching states with fewer infections. (March 28)

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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 prepares for coronavirus deaths with makeshift morgue New York City built a makeshift morgue for the expected influx of coronavirus deaths.

New York City has emerged as the epicenter 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.

Later in the day, Trump issued a tweet that signaled a change of plans.

"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," he tweeted. "A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!"

Already, governors in Texas, Florida, Maryland and South Carolina have ordered people arriving from the tri-state region to self-quarantine for at least 14 days upon arrival.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo placed his entire state under a shelter-in-place order that took effect March 22. The order, called New York on Pause, requires residents to stay home "to the maximum extent possible" and do their jobs remotely. It also bans all nonessential gatherings of individuals "of any size for any reason."

Residents can leave their homes for solitary exercise or to obtain essential services or items, including trips to the grocery stores. When in public, they must keep a 6-foot distance from others.

Contributing: Joseph Spector, Westchester Journal News