Manhattan, New York
Manhattan, New YorkiStock

The Trump administration is advising that individuals leaving New York self-quarantine for 14 days to avoid potentially spreading the coronavirus, The Hill reports Tuesday.

Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House’s coronavirus task force, made the recommendation during a press conference as cases in New York continue to increase rapidly.

“Everybody who was in New York should be self-quarantining for the next 14 days to ensure that the virus doesn't spread to others, no matter where they have gone, whether it's Florida, North Carolina, or out to…Long Island,” she said.

About 56 percent of all the cases in the U.S. are coming out of the New York metro area, she added.

“It’s a very serious situation. They've suffered terribly through no fault of their own,” added Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

He said the rate of infection in the area is eight to 10 times higher than in other parts of the country.

It’s important individuals leaving New York self-quarantine so they don’t seed outbreaks in other areas of the country, he said. Individuals should call a doctor if they become sick and get tested.

Earlier on Tuesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that coronavirus is accelerating its spread in New York, with potentially disastrous consequences.

The case count is doubling every three days, and the peak of infection in New York could come as soon as two to three weeks, he added.

“We haven’t flattened the curve. And the curve is actually increasing,” Cuomo said, according to The New York Times. “The apex is higher than we thought, and the apex is sooner than we thought. That is a bad combination of facts.”