Residents of New York, New Jersey & Connecticut urged to avoid all ‘non-essential’ travel for 14 days - advisory

Citing “extensive community transmission” of the coronavirus in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, a newly-issued domestic travel advisory has called on residents to stay put in their homes for at least the next two weeks.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its travel recommendation for residents of the three states – struggling to cope with an avalanche of new Covid-19 cases – on Saturday evening, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that he would not impose federal quarantine on the states in an apparent U-turn from his previous rhetoric.

The advisory, which is effective immediately, makes an exception for those working in critical infrastructure. Medical personnel, truckers, as well as residents employed in the food industry and banking services "have a special responsibility to maintain normal working schedules," it states.

New York City has been hit the hardest of all of American metropolitan areas. The sprawling city, which is the most populous in the nation, stands out with at least 672 deaths out of the US total death toll of 2,185, and over 30,000 confirmed cases.

New York accounts for roughly a third of all US Covid-19 cases, which have long surpassed the 120,000 mark, with Italy – the European hotbed of the crisis – and China now trailing far behind.

New Jersey, with at least 11,124 confirmed cases and 140 deaths, is bracing for a surge in positive tests as well, having registered its biggest one-day increase in lethal cases on Saturday. 

Connecticut has so far reported 1,524 positive cases and 33 coronavirus-related fatalities.

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