Donald Trump announced plans to lock down the entire states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut on Saturday in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus (Pictures: AP/Getty)

Donald Trump says he is considering locking down the entire states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Addressing reporters on Saturday, the president said: ‘Some people would 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.

‘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, certain parts of Connecticut.’



Speaking from Norfolk, Virginia, as he prepared to send the US Navy Hospital Ship Comfort to New York City on Saturday, the president added that the ban – which could see 32 million people locked down – would exempt truckers bringing supplies into any of the affected states, or who were driving through New York, New Jersey or Connecticut en route to another state.


The normally-bustling streets of Manhattan are already empty as New Yorkers follow strict existing quarantines (Picture: Getty)

Visit our live blog for the latest updates: Coronavirus news live

Trump made the announcement after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced 7,681 new coronavirus diagnoses across his state in the last 24 hours. He added that 728 people have now been killed by Covid-19 across New York.

A total of 52,318 people across New York have now been diagnosed with coronavirus, far more than any other US state. New Jersey is the second-worst hit state, having 8,825 diagnoses.

New Yorkers have already been ordered to stay at home except to visit the supermarket, pharmacy or for brief, daily exercise, with the usually bustling New York City reduced to a ghost town as people heed that advice and stay indoors.

Connecticut is further down the US league table, with Trump planning to quarantine it because of its proximity to New York. Asked about the proposed quarantine on Saturday, Governor Cuomo immediately condemned it and said: ‘I don’t know how that would be legally enforceable.’

The US now has more than 112,000 coronavirus diagnoses, with at least 1,920 people killed by Covid-19.