New York governor discourages nonessential travel from New Jersey, Connecticut

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NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he wanted to limit nonessential travel from New Jersey and Connecticut as the neighboring states see upticks in novel coronavirus cases and that he would announce new guidance on Wednesday.

“There’s no practical way to quarantine New York from New Jersey and Connecticut, there are just too many interchanges,” Cuomo, a Democrat, told reporters on a conference call, noting the many people living in the states who commute to jobs in New York City.

He said he planned to speak with the governors of the two states later on Tuesday about “making it clear to the extent travel among the states or between the states is not essential it should be avoided.” He later said he also wanted to discourage nonessential travel from Pennsylvania.

The rate of positive coronavirus tests was above 3% in New Jersey, state health officials said on Monday. In Connecticut, the positivity rate was 1.7%, Governor Ned Lamont said on Monday. Pennsylvania’s was 4.3%, said Governor Tom Wolf.

New York’s positivity rate was 1.3% on Tuesday, one of the lowest in the nation, but health officials have raised concerns about some “hot spots” in parts of New York City and counties north of the metropolis.

New York, which faced one of the most rampant outbreaks in the world earlier this year, now requires people arriving from 38 states and two U.S. territories to quarantine for 14 days. Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania now meet the state’s criteria for the quarantine requirements, but Cuomo said on Tuesday he would not yet add them to the list.

“It would have a disastrous effect on the economy, and remember while we’re fighting this public health pandemic, we’re also fighting to open up the economy,” Cuomo said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen; editing by Jonathan Oatis)