In an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Upstate counties are warning anyone traveling from New York City to self-quarantine for two weeks or stay away entirely.

The requests have no legal backing as only Gov. Andrew Cuomo could give such an order, but they come as the number of cases in New York City continue to grow and upstate health departments predict that they could soon see a similar surge, possibly overwhelming their capabilities. Governors in at least two states have also mandated that anyone who travels from the New York metro area must self-quarantine for two weeks after arriving.

Wednesday evening, county leaders in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties asked Cuomo order that anyone who travels from Westchester or New York City to self-quarantine, following a recommendation from Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator.

University at Albany won't be having people traveling to the area for its graduation, as it announced Thursday that it has postponed its scheduled May ceremonies.

On Thursday, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin asked Cuomo to ban non-essential travel from the same areas. McLaughlin said five Troy residents who tested positive for COVID-19 had recently re-located from New York City.

“It is now time for the state to take this very reasonable action or empower counties to take basic steps needed to protect public health,” said McLaughlin.

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Rensselaer County has 44 cases, as of Thursday afternoon. Saratoga County has the second-highest number of cases in the Capital Region with 87 as of Thursday evening. Schenectady reports it was up to 62 confirmed cases Thursday. There were four cases in Washington County, two in Warren County and five in Montgomery County.

Vermont also took steps to limit travel from the city. Amtrak suspended all service to Vermont at the request of Gov. Phil Scott, who said the decision was part of an effort to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both the Ethan Allen Express, which operates to and from Rutland, and the Vermonter, which operates to and from St. Albans, were to suspend service Thursday.

The move, coupled with the closing of the Canadian border last week, effectively leaves Saratoga Springs and other communities north of Albany temporarily without passenger rail service. Both the Adirondack, which usually serves Montreal, and the Ethan Allen Express will now end their northbound trips at Albany.

Schenectady, meanwhile, will see the loss of two of its five daily routes. Both the Ethan Allen and the Adirondack stopped there before turning north to Saratoga Springs.

Cuomo on Tuesday warned that the rate of coronavirus cases in New York is increasing dramatically, that the apex of the infections could strike the state in two or three weeks, and as many as 140,000 hospital beds may be needed to treat those afflicted. He has also noted that experts project the state will not have enough ventilators or intensive care unit beds.

In his daily press briefing on Thursday though, Cuomo said he had no plans for a travel ban.

“The counties can come with whatever suggestions they want,” he said.

Those suggestions were echoed by counties in the Catskills and Adirondacks – areas filled with second homes and weekend rentals - warning people who don’t live there to stay away.

“While you may be seeking refuge from the larger amount of cases downstate, you must be aware that this is a global pandemic,” Greene County said in a statement on its website.

“You and your family have a critical role to fulfill in halting the rapid spread of this potentially deadly virus, which can be dangerous and even fatal to the elderly and people with underlying health conditions,” the county said.

Greene County does not have a hospital and limited medical facilities. The county has eight confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy declined to join the call for limitations on travel from downstate areas, saying he would defer to Cuomo.

Albany County saw a jump of 24 COVID-19 cases overnight, from 142 to 166. Those patients include a 2-month-old and a 99-year-old. Of those who have tested positive, 15 are hospitalized.

Since the county hospitals are no longer doing community testing, all of the new positive cases are either pre-existing hospital patients or healthcare workers.

Albany County is still trying to track down a small group of people who may have attended mass at 12:30 p.m. on March 15 at the Victory Bible Church at 21 Hackett Blvd. in Albany.

As the county approaches two weeks since its first confirmed case, McCoy said those who have tested positive and are feeling better should still take precautions and practice social distancing.

"Just because you have it and are feeling better really doesn't mean you can go out around people," he said.

McCoy and Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen reiterated the county’s need for more tests. Whalen said the fact that the county’s cases were still rising without widespread testing was concerning.

“We need to do widespread testing, so our mitigation efforts are more effective,” she said.

The county is looking at the situation in New York City where some hospitals are starting to become overwhelmed by the surge of patients. The county believes it is going to see a similar surge, Whalen said.

“It’s just down the road,” she said. “We are not far behind.”

Staff writers Rick Karlin, Ken Crowe and Wendy Liberatore and Business Editor Eric Anderson contributed to this report