Trump Backtracks In NY Curfew Plan

Donald Trump completed a spectacular U-turn in the fight against coronavirus by withdrawing a threat that he was “considering quarantine on New York”.

- Mark Reynolds

But 8.6 million people in that city have been “strongly advised” to stay at home and avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.

The US President had come under fire from New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo over the initial quarantine proposal, with questions asked if such a move was legal or even possible.

Mr Cuomo escalated the feud by describing Mr Trump’s announcement as “preposterous” and “a declaration of war on states”.

But just hours after making the suggestion, the President backed down, claiming quarantining New York “will not be necessary”.

He had said his sanctions could also include New Jersey and Connecticut, due to “extensive community transmission”. There are now more than 52,000 sufferers in New York, with the state having about half of all confirmed cases in the States.

New York City has been recording a death every nine and a half minutes with fears that the numbers could rise further.

The row began when Mr Trump, talking about NYC, said: “We would like to see [it] quarantined because it’s a hotspot. I’m thinking about that.