Daily coronavirus updates: CDC issues warning against non-essential travel for Connecticut, New York and New Jersey

The federal Centers for Disease Control is urging all residents of Connecticut, along with New York and New Jersey, to immediately halt non-essential travel for the next 14 days as the coronavirus outbreak grows more critical.

The warning came late Saturday evening after a day of uncertainty when President Donald Trump said he was considering a quarantine of the three states. The plan was opposed by the governors of the three states, including Gov. Ned Lamont, who said they were not consulted by the White House before Trump’s statement.

“The Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will have full discretion to implement CDC’s Domestic Travel Advisory," said Dr. Robert R. Redfield, director of the CDC, in a tweet Saturday evening.

"This Domestic Travel Advisory does not apply to employees of critical infrastructure industries, including but not limited to trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply,'' the CDC said in a state Saturday evening.

Trump backed off from the quarantine, issuing a tweet Saturday evening “on the recommendation of the White House Corona Virus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor’s of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut."

”I have asked the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the Federal Government,” Trump said. “A quarantine will not be necessary.”

Here are the latest coronavirus developments:

Connecticut officials confirmed Saturday that the state has now had 1,524 confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 205 hospitalizations and 33 deaths from the virus.

The largest number of new cases was in Fairfield County. By Saturday evening, there were 233 more confirmed cases of the coronavirus and six additional deaths in Connecticut since Friday.

Lamont has issued another plea for volunteers with health care experience to help out as the state prepares for a surge of cases requiring hospitalization. “We need you more than ever,” Lamont said in a video posted early Saturday.

Town officials in Suffield said that Suffield House, a nursing facility, and Suffield by the River, a separate assisted-living facility, have a number of residents and staff that have tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement from officials in Suffield comes as cases spread this past week at Evergreen Health Care Center, a nursing home in Stafford, and Benchmark Senior Living at Ridgefield Crossing.

A day after New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said Yale University denied the city’s request for emergency housing for firefighters and police officers, the university made an offer of 300 beds during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Sunday, Gov. Lamont will visit Bio-Med Devices, Inc. in Guilford. The manufacturing company is producing ventilators being used in hospitals throughout the world and has executed a purchase order with the State of Connecticut.

Quarantine confusion

With little information from the president, Gov. Ned Lamont said at a 6 p.m. briefing that he could not speculate on “exactly what the president meant” about enforcing a mandatory quarantine. The governor said a quarantine would be unenforceable if Trump is talking about stopping traffic in the area.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House midday Saturday, Trump brought up the possibility of a quarantine that could last “short term, two weeks -- on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut.”

Lamont said Saturday night that he had a “high-level” conversation with the White House and while he said he believed they were “thinking out loud” about re-examining coronavirus hot spots in an effort to contain the spread, he said the president’s words created confusion.

“Words matter, and those words have created a certain amount of confusion, and when you lack clarity, that can lead to confusion, and confusion can lead to panic," Lamont said. “I can tell you we are working together on this. We are the ones that have to enforce this -- we, the governors. There are hundreds and hundreds of roads leading in and out of the New York metro region. It’s something absolutely unenforceable if they are talking about slowing down or stopping traffic.” Lamont said.

Lamont reiterated Saturday that Connecticut has asked residents to stay home and also asked those traveling from New York to self-quarantine for 14 days -- measures to slow the spread of the virus.

Trump has said he has heard from a lot of states less impacted by the coronavirus that they want the New York region quarantined.

When asked if it was legal to issue a mandatory quarantine, Lamont said the White House was looking into whether they had that authority, but that the governors enforce the laws and the White House should work collaboratively with the governors.

Worry over social distancing

Mayor Curt Balanzo Leng of Hamden issued an emergency order Sunday to prohibiting all groups from congregating and requiring a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing at all parks and public areas in town.

“Our Town, our first responders, and the State of Connecticut are doing everything we absolutely can to drive home just how very serious the COVID-19 pandemic is for our residents and their friends and families,'' Leng said. "If we don’t stay away from one another outside of times absolutely essential, we are literally risking lives of our loved ones and friends. We all have responsibility to slow the spread of this deadly virus and reduce exposure. I’m pleading with every one of our residents to please take this extremely seriously.”

Leng’s order comes as municipal leaders have grown concerned about residents gathering in parks and other public areas. Fairfield County towns have added special patrols to break up public gatherings. Gov. Lamong has prohibited gatherings of more than 5 people.

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