CDC Travel Advisory For NJ: No Coronavirus Travel Ban From Trump

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump on Saturday decided against confining residents of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut from the rest of the country amid the coronavirus outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instead issued a travel advisory.

The CDC said it urges residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days, effective immediately, due to "extensive community transmission of COVID -19 in the area."

This "Domestic Travel Advisory" does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, such as trucking, public health professionals, financial services and food supply.

"These employees of critical infrastructure, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidance-essential-critical-infrastructure-workforceexternal icon), have a special responsibility to maintain normal work schedules. The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement this Domestic Travel Advisory," the advisory said.

Trump said he decided against an outright travel ban after talking to the governors.

Gov. Phil Murphy said he's been in constant communication with the White House, including discussions with the president and vice president, who briefed him on on the CDC travel advisory affecting the tri-state region.

“To be clear, this non-binding advisory guidance does not change the rules that have been established and in place for over a week now under Executive Order 107," Murphy said. "If you have been working as part of our frontline response effort, from health care workers to supermarket workers, we still need you on the job.

“I encourage all New Jerseyans to continue practicing aggressive social distancing and take personal responsibility to help us get through this public health emergency.“

Trump initially said he was considering some sort of a travel ban, and his words drew a sharp rebuke from the region's governors, including N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said on CNN: "This would be a declaration of war on states, a federal declaration of war."

Trump spoke to reporters on Saturday and said he was "thinking about" restrictions, saying: "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it’s a hotspot – New York, New Jersey. Maybe one or two other places; certain parts of Connecticut quarantined. I’m thinking about that right now."

Trump appeared to clarify his words later, saying he was talking about restricting traveling to and from those states, but he would not restrict truckers from making deliveries and he would not prevent trade between the states.

Trump said he was considering making the move this weekend "because they’re having problems down in Florida. A lot of New Yorkers are going down. We don’t want that. Heavily infected," he said.

Trump added that this "would be an enforceable quarantine. And, you know, I’d rather not do it, but we may need it."

Murphy, who had a one-on-one call with Trump on Friday, initially said the possibility of restrictions did not come up.

"I literally saw the story as I was walking into this room," he said. "There's no question the greater New York area is the No. 1 hotspot in America right now, in terms of number of cases."

"We're going to keep doing what we're doing in terms of social distancing and flattening the curve" until the state is given specific instructions, he said. Read more: Gov. Murphy: NJ Coronavirus Cases Top 11K, 32 More Deaths

On CNN, Cuomo said he didn't believe Trump would move to a travel ban, saying he wouldn't be able to limit it to just New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He noted other states, such as Louisiana and Michigan, have also become coronavirus hotspots and the travel ban would have to be extended to those states, too.

"And I don't think the president is looking to start a lot of wars with a lot of states just about now for a lot of reasons," Cuomo said on CNN.

Trump's action would essentially have followed actions already taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who issued an order Monday requiring all incoming air passengers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to self-quarantine for 14 days. Read more: FL Orders NY, NJ, CT Travelers To Self-Quarantine For Coronavirus

"That's the only way we can be sure that that virus is not going to be reintroduced in the state of Florida and then spread," the governor said during a late afternoon press conference.

Developments in the new coronavirus outbreak continue to unfold rapidly in New Jersey now that the number of cases has risen to 11,124, and 140 people have died. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

During his short meeting with reporters, Trump added that his administration has had a good dialogue with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, adding: "We’ve supplied him with a lot of things. We’re giving him an extra four medical centers, tents. That’s beyond what we’ve already given.

"As you know, we’re giving them to New Jersey. We’re doing a great job with the governor of New Jersey. He’s been very good," he said.