Trump drops idea of New York lockdown as U.S. death count crosses 2,000 - Reuters - 0 views
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President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he would issue a travel warning for the hard-hit New York area to limit the spread of the coronavirus,
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Trump’s announcement came as the U.S. death count crossed 2,100, more than double the level from two days ago.
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The United States has now recorded more than 122,000 cases of the respiratory virus, the most of any country in the world.
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Since the virus first appeared in the United States in late January, Trump has vacillated between playing down the risks of infection and urging Americans to take steps to slow its spread.
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Trump said on Saturday afternoon that he might impose a ban on travel in and out of New York and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut,
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Critics promptly called the idea unworkable, saying it would cause chaos in a region that serves as the economic engine of the eastern United States, accounting for 10 percent of the population and 12 percent of GDP.
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It was the latest reversal for Trump, who has been reluctant to order U.S. companies to produce much-needed medical supplies, despite the pleas of governors and hospital workers.
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Tests to track the disease’s progress also remain in short supply, despite repeated White House promises that they would be widely available.
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Though Trump has apparently opted not to impose checkpoints on highways and airports leading out of New York, some states have imposed limits of their own.
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New Yorkers arriving in Florida and Rhode Island face orders to self-isolate if they intend to stay, and the governors of Pennsylvania and West Virginia have asked visiting New Yorkers to voluntarily self-quarantine.
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New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on Saturday asked all visitors to his state who don’t come for work reasons to voluntarily self-quarantine.
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New coronavirus cases in China leveled off after the government imposed a strict lockdown of Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease.