President Donald Trump has backed down from ordering a coronavirus quarantine for New York, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut, as announced in an appearance by White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx on Fox News Channel Saturday evening.

Instead, the CDC will be issuing a travel advisory concerning travel in and out of these areas, which have been hotspots for COVID-19 cases.

The “Domestic Travel Advisory” posted on the agency’s website says that the “CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately.”

The advisory “does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply,” noting that these employees “have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedule.” The CDC also included advice to residents of other states concerning travel to areas with high numbers of coronavirus cases, including considering the age and health of their travel companions and household members remaining behind, as well as the possibility of having to quarantine at home for 14 days upon return if exposed to coronavirus.

Trump was considering issuing a quarantine order for the tri-state earlier today, as Mediaite reported.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo strongly objected to the proposal, saying that he doubted it would be legal and that such a move would further devastate the economy. Furthermore, noted Cuomo, he had been in regular and frequent communication with the president, and Trump had not mentioned the idea, leading Cuomo to believe he was not serious about it.

Birx’s take on the president’s decision to have the CDC issue a travel advisory instead of ordering a quarantine was that it was helpful for keeping Americans “aware” of where the virus was most active.

“I think Trump wanted the whole of America to know where the virus is and where it is expanding rapidly,” said Birx, “and really felt like everybody had to be aware and have a travel advisory. In talking to the governors, it was clear that they felt they could keep their people safe and at home, like they had all asked their people to shelter in place.”

“The president wanted everyone to know where this virus is,” continued Birx, “so people would be aware if they’re going to travel to that area that that area had a very significant amount of COVID-19 or the Coronavirus.”

“It’s really to make Americans aware about traveling to New York and also make it clear to the people in the area to protect themselves following the guidelines to really stay home and hunker down, stay at home and wash their hands and not touch their face.”

Birx also used her appearance to urge Americans to continue to strictly practice hand washing and social distancing.

“I think people really don’t understand how transmittable it is,” she said. “It is much more transmittable than flu. It is much more transmittable than a lot of the other coronaviruses that people have heard about like SARS…We are really asking people to follow these guidelines even if you don’t think there’s a virus, there it probably is. We don’t think any city will be spared from this virus.”

Asked for some advice for Americans, Birx said, “If I leave anything with your audience, it is follow the guideline. Please, follow the guidelines. Protect yourself, protect your family, but let’s unite together and protect America.”

Watch the video above, via Fox News Channel.

This article has been updated to include the CDC travel advisory.

 

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