Following President Trump‘s statement early Saturday that he was considering a quarantine for New York, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut, the governors of the three states signaled their objection to such a move with statements of their own. Saturday evening culminated with the president asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a Domestic Travel Advisory for CT, NY and NJ.
Trump tweeted his directive, saying the move came after he consulted with Gov. Ned Lamont, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (NY) and Gov. Phil Murphy (NJ), and on the recommendation of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.
….Federal Government. A quarantine will not be necessary. Full details will be released by CDC tonight. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
The CDC complied at 10:34 p.m. Saturday night with a 14-day domestic travel advisory.
Domestic Travel Advisory: Due to extensive community transmission of #COVID19 in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, CDC urges residents to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately. Read more: https://t.co/RAaIpQn6cj pic.twitter.com/a0eIYGzOa1
— CDC (@CDCgov) March 29, 2020
Lamont had signaled his objection to a quarantine after the president’s earlier threat of a possible quarantine with his own statement:
“Regarding the President’s consideration of a quarantine of New York, as well as parts of Connecticut and New Jersey, our state has already called on residents to stay at home. Further, if interstate travel is absolutely necessary, our state has directed travelers to self-quarantine to prevent against further transmission of the virus. I have been in close communication with NY Gov. Cuomo and Gov. Murphy, and I look forward to speaking to the President directly about his comments and any further enforcement actions, because confusion leads to panic,” he said.