RTSun, 29 Mar 2020 03:27 UTC
© REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
US President Donald Trump has apparently abandoned the idea to impose federal quarantine on the three US states, hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, including New York, saying a "strong" travel warning to be issued instead.
In an apparent about-turn, that came mere hours after he
floated the idea of placing US Covid-19 "hotspots" of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut under federally mandated quarantine, Trump took to Twitter, stating that such a robust measure would "not be necessary."
Trump appears to have changed his mind after discussing the issue with the states' authorities, tweeting that he made the decision upon the "recommendation" of the VP Mike Pence-led coronavirus task force and after "consultation" with the governors of the affected states.
Rather than pushing for a quarantine, Trump said that he had instructed the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue "a strong travel advisory," to be published later on Saturday.
Trump's initial proposal to put New York, which accounts for roughly a third of the US coronavirus death toll with at least 728 deaths out of more than 52,000 confirmed cases, has drawn ire from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Democrat governor pulled no punches shredding the idea, arguing that such an order would be "illegal" and would lead to "chaos and mayhem."
Speaking to CNN, Cuomo said that Trump would open a can of worms if he goes ahead with the quarantine, likening it to "a federal declaration of war on states."Cuomo, a vocal critic of Trump otherwise, has unleashed criticism but also praise at the Trump administration, stunning many in the anti-Trump #Resistance camp, eager to weaponize the coronavirus emergency to score political points when he said last week that Trump was "100 percent sincere" in his effort to stop the outbreak and that his administration was "ready and willing to help."
Comment: Residents of New York, New Jersey & Connecticut are now being
urged to avoid all non-essential travel for the next 14 days. The coronavirus death toll has reportedly
doubled in 2 days in the US, and the first baby in the US has
died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, although it is not conclusive that coronavirus is what caused the infant's death. Students attending some of the most expensive universities in the US are trying to get their money back since classes are canceled, but the elites who run these schools don't seem to
understand, or care about, the urgency of the situation. One school administrator responded to an email requesting a refund with an embedded video of her doing interpretative dance. Out of touch much?
Italy
announced that their death toll passed 10,000. The death toll in New York
increased by 209 on Saturday as people infected with the virus rose to 52,318. The state's presidential primary was also pushed back until June. Hospitals in New York are starting to become
overwhelmed as there is a death every 17 minutes in New York City. New York City Public Hospital Doctor Steve Kassapidis even went so far as to say what was happening in the city was "hell on earth." Over 500 members of the NYPD have
tested positive for COVID-19.
In an "unprecedented" move South Africa has entered into a
martial law-style lockdown for three weeks starting on Friday. The lockdown of South Africa is the first time the government has stripped the basic freedoms of its citizens since it became a democracy in 1994. The sale of alcohol and cigarettes has been banned for three weeks, along with any outdoor activity such as jogging, walking dogs, and or going to the park. The government warned that offenders would be prosecuted and either fined or jailed. Conor McGregor has
called for a similar lockdown in Ireland.
Comment: Residents of New York, New Jersey & Connecticut are now being urged to avoid all non-essential travel for the next 14 days. The coronavirus death toll has reportedly doubled in 2 days in the US, and the first baby in the US has died after being diagnosed with COVID-19, although it is not conclusive that coronavirus is what caused the infant's death. Students attending some of the most expensive universities in the US are trying to get their money back since classes are canceled, but the elites who run these schools don't seem to understand, or care about, the urgency of the situation. One school administrator responded to an email requesting a refund with an embedded video of her doing interpretative dance. Out of touch much?
Italy announced that their death toll passed 10,000. The death toll in New York increased by 209 on Saturday as people infected with the virus rose to 52,318. The state's presidential primary was also pushed back until June. Hospitals in New York are starting to become overwhelmed as there is a death every 17 minutes in New York City. New York City Public Hospital Doctor Steve Kassapidis even went so far as to say what was happening in the city was "hell on earth." Over 500 members of the NYPD have tested positive for COVID-19.
In an "unprecedented" move South Africa has entered into a martial law-style lockdown for three weeks starting on Friday. The lockdown of South Africa is the first time the government has stripped the basic freedoms of its citizens since it became a democracy in 1994. The sale of alcohol and cigarettes has been banned for three weeks, along with any outdoor activity such as jogging, walking dogs, and or going to the park. The government warned that offenders would be prosecuted and either fined or jailed. Conor McGregor has called for a similar lockdown in Ireland.