Anyone who recently traveled from the New York City metro area should self-quarantine for 14 days from the time they left due to the high coronavirus infection rate in the city, members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force said Tuesday.
“Everyone who was in New York should be self-quarantined for the next 14 days to ensure the virus doesn’t spread to others, no matter where they have gone,” coronavirus task force coordinator Deborah Birx told reporters.
The move comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday that passengers flying from New York would be subject to mandatory isolation for two weeks to slow the spread of the virus.
It is critical people adhere to the federal government’s request so New York City does not become “another seeding point” for the rest of the country, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“The idea, if you look at the statistics, it’s disturbing, about one per 1,000 of these individuals are infected,” Fauci said. “That’s about eight to ten times more than in other areas. Which means when they go to another place, for their own safety, they have got to be careful, monitor themselves.”
More than 14,700 confirmed coronavirus cases have been detected in New York City and 131 people have died, the city said Tuesday morning. Over 2,200 people are hospitalized, including at least 525 in intensive care units.
Vice President Mike Pence encouraged people who were recently in New York City to monitor their temperature and other symptoms closely.
“We have to deal with the New York City metropolitan area as a high-risk area, and for that reason we are taking these steps and asking for the cooperation of the American people,” Pence said.
Amanda Eisenberg contributed to this report.
