Trump Says He’s Considering a Quarantine of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut

As the coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen in the state of New York, President Trump told the press that he’s considering a short-term quarantine for the state, as well as New Jersey and parts of Connecticut.

"We're thinking about certain things. Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hot spot. We might not have to do it, but there's a possibility that sometime today we'll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York. Probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut," he told reporters at the White House on Saturday.

The president later tweeted about the idea.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was holding a press briefing at the time of the president’s off-the-cuff announcement, said that he has not heard that the president had such a plan despite speaking with him just this morning.

“I don’t even know what that means,” Cuomo told a reporter when asked about Trump’s plan. “I don’t know how that would be legally enforceable. And from a medical point of view, I don’t know what you would be accomplishing.”

Later in the afternoon, Trump once again spoke about his tri-state quarantine proposal during a briefing at the USNS Comfort, which departed Norfolk, Va. for New York today, noting that a final decision on the matter “very shortly.”

“If you are from the New York metropolitan area, we need you to self-quarantine for 14 days to help us contain the spread of the virus,” the president said. “This does not apply to people such as truckers, from outside the New York area who are making deliveries or simply transiting through. It won’t affect trade in any way.”

Cover: President Donald Trump listens to a question as he speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Press Briefing Room, Friday, March 27, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)