Put New York State under cover? Already dramatic, the situation is becoming surreal in the United States. On Saturday, faced with the explosion of cases of coronavirus contamination, Donald Trump considered for a few moments to place New York, as well as part of the neighboring states of New Jersey and Connecticut, in “quarantine”, before backing down . The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, had reacted very strongly, speaking of measure “anti-American and counter-productive”, with the hints of civil war, likely to generate “economic chaos”. On CNN, he called such a move “illegal” and “a declaration of war on states”. “It would shock the markets on an unprecedented scale. As governor, I will not close my borders ”, he noted.
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New York, slow motion
All “non-essential” travel prohibited
In this climate of extreme tensions between Washington and the states, the president ended up giving up lockdown. However, he ordered the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national health authority, to enact travel restrictions to prevent the pandemic from spreading rapidly in the country. While no roads are currently blocked, the message is clear: “The CDC urges residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid non-essential travel (within the country) for the next fourteen years. days, with immediate effect. “
Already at the end of the week, the alarming situation in the New York region was mentioned during a White House press briefing. New Yorkers, officially placed in lockdown since March 22, have been asked not to leave the region. “So as not to contaminate others,” said Dr Anthony Fauci, the epidemiologist who embodies the face of the fight against the pandemic in the United States. A message aimed at those who try to flee the city, especially the rich with second homes. As for those who were recently in New York, they have to quarantine themselves for about fourteen days. Saturday, Donald Trump was particularly concerned about the situation in Florida, where he now has his tax residence. “They’re having trouble in Florida, a lot of New Yorkers are moving south. We do not want that ”, noted the president. He had assured that the “quarantine” would be short-lived and that he had a good relationship with Governor Cuomo. But the latter was forced to raise his voice once again.
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New Yorkers hunt
In the meantime, the hunt for New Yorkers is raging. Cars with New York license plates have been intercepted in Rhode Island. Local police and National Guard reservists track them down to ask them to either return home or stay confined for two weeks after arriving in the state. Those who do not respect these instructions risk fines. There too, Andrew Cuomo raised the tone. He speaks of “reactionary politics” and doubts the legality of such measures. He is ready to take legal action, while Florida is also controlling the arrival of New Yorkers. Other states are doing the same. Like Texas, Maryland or South Carolina. Texan authorities, for example, spoke of unannounced checks on Friday, with fines of up to $ 1,000 and imprisonment for up to 180 days for non-disciplined New Yorkers.
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These tensions between American states are also verified in terms of artificial respirators. Threatened by a major shortage, the State of New York claims it from the federal authorities and tries to buy it back from the various states. However, some fear running out of it in their turn and make reservations. States headed by Republican governors also seem to be listened to more by Donald Trump.
As of Sunday, the United States recorded more than 124,700 cases of people infected with Covid-19 – half of which in New York State alone – and more than 2,190 deaths. Anthony Fauci articulated the figure of “100,000 to 200,000 potential deaths”. The death of a child under one year old in Illinois has raised new concerns. The pandemic had so far spared children.
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