New York State and several others on Friday declared a halt to all non-essential activities to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, following in the footsteps of California. California governor Gavin Newsom had already announced the day before similar decisions and placed the entire state in containment.
The measures taken in California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Connecticut are more restrictive than those announced so far at the federal level. The move overtook President Donald Trump, who ruled out a nationwide shutdown on Friday. "I don't think we will find it necessary one day," he said. "It was done in California, it was done in New York, these are two hot spots (...) But if you go to the Midwest or elsewhere, they watch it all on TV and don't have the same problems, " he added.
Read also: California placed in containment
The five states now affected by these restrictive measures weigh more than 85 million people, including 60 for California and New York. It is a huge blow to the country's economy, because California and New York alone account for almost a quarter of the United States' gross domestic product (22.3% in 2018). The second houses the heart of global finance and the first that of new technologies and the Internet.
"This is the most radical step we can take," said New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, noting that activities considered essential would not be affected. He listed the grocery stores, pharmacies, cable operators, and everything related to community services, including water maintenance or public transportation, which will continue to operate. Restaurants and food shops can continue to make deliveries. Any gathering of people unrelated to these essential activities is now prohibited, regardless of its size, announced Andrew Cuomo.
The governor nevertheless indicated that individuals were able to leave their homes, to do their shopping or even to get some fresh air, while urging them to respect the principle of social distancing. While he threatened fines considered non-essential businesses that would remain open, he did not speak of fines for recalcitrant individuals. "We are all in quarantine," said the first political leader of New York State, where the number of reported cases has accelerated sharply in recent hours.
Read also: Coronavirus: arms sales explode in the United States
"This will have negative consequences for the economy," admitted Andrew Cuomo, who said he accepted "full responsibility" for the measures announced on Friday. “I think these decisions will save lives. I don't want to put a price on a human life ” . "At this stage, as far as the virus is concerned, nothing is too aggressive" in terms of preventive measures, added New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy in an interview at NJ.com.
To respond to the consequences of the unprecedented dormancy of a considerable part of the American economy, the governors of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut sent a letter to the American president and to Congress asking them a $ 100 billion cash injection, said Phil Murphy.
New York State recorded 2,950 new cases in 24 hours, bringing the total to 7,102. The balance sheet shows 35 dead. Andrew Cuomo argued that this jump was largely due to the introduction of large-scale testing, on a scale greater than any other region in the United States, he said. He renewed his appeal to all companies with artificial respirators and masks and having no essential use to offer them to the authorities, who will buy them to prevent a shortage of health services.
Read also: Coronavirus: in New York, Broadway lights went out
U.S. Army Corps chief Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite said on Friday that his services were studying the possibility of installing hospital beds in university accommodation and hotel rooms. Several sites are under study in the New York area, he said, estimating possible to install 10,000 beds in "three or four weeks" . Many other states have also asked the engineering corps for similar assistance, he said, suggesting that arbitration would be necessary.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 17,000 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in the United States, which have more than 220 deaths.