Trump mulls NY quarantine as U.S. cases top 115,000

Trump mulls NY quarantine as U.S. cases top 115,000

President Donald Trump said on Saturday he is considering a two-week quarantine on New York and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus from the country's epicenter, but he added that such a move would not affect trade in any way.

Gavino Garay has more.

With the number of known coronavirus cases in the U.S. soaring past 115,000 thousand, the highest tally in the world..

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday said he's considering imposing a quarantine on New York and other states.

Trump made the comments en route to a hospital ship that's sailing from Virginia to the U.S. epicenter New York, which has more than 52,000 cases recorded.

(SOUNDBITE) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING: "Some people would like to see New York quarantined because it's a hot spot, New York, New Jersey and one or two other places and certain parts of Connecticut quarantined." Trump said that travel to Florida by New York residents is causing problems for the southern state and he may impose a quarantine to protect other states that have yet to bear the brunt.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he had spoken with Trump and that the President had approved four new sites for emergency medical facilities, but that he was unaware of such a quarantine (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO SAYING: "So this is going to be a big advantage, this will add another 4,000 beds and there's one in every borough in New York City, which was important to me.

Every borough knows that they have a facility and they are getting the same treatment that everyone else is getting." As the number of cases in New York continues to surge, news of the growing number of fatalities was also grim.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO SAYING: "The worst news in the news that is most depressing to me and I'm sure every New Yorker, a number of deaths is up to 728." Cuomo also announced the state of New York would be postponing the April 28 presidential primary election to June 23.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING: "This great ship behind me is a 70,000 ton message of hope." Trump was in Norfolk, Virginia Saturday afternoon to bid farewell to hospital ship US Navy Comfort, which has 1,000 hospital beds and 1,200 medical personnel and is due to dock in New York City on Monday.

It was not immediately clear if Trump would be able to impose a quarantine, but he noted that such a move would not affect trade in any way.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SAYING: "We will be making a decision very shortly." Days after announcing he hoped to reopen the U.S. economy by Easter Sunday, Trump on Saturday appeared to soften that expectation after he was asked about it, saying quote "we're going to see what happens."