Dem Rep. Espaillat on Coronavirus: ‘We Should Be in Total Lockdown’

In a Wednesday interview on CNN’s “New Day,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) called for the country to be “in total lockdown” over the coronavirus, especially where the pandemic has hit hard in New York City.

Espaillat called New York “the epicenter of the pandemic,” advising “everyone to stay home” to help combat the spread so the country does not end up looking like Italy.

“Thank God for Governor Cuomo,” Espaillat told host Alisyn Camerota. “I represent a district that has probably the most hospital beds of any district in the state. We’re right at the epicenter of the pandemic. This is Washington Heights and Harlem, the smallest district in the country. We literally live on top of each other. And I hear from my hospital presidents, and they’re in dire need of ventilators, protective equipment for health care workers. This is a major crisis, and we are now in uncharted waters. We’re not getting the help soon enough.”

He later added, “I think the country should be in a lockdown. We saw a couple of weeks back what was happening in Italy. Now, the rest of the country is seeing what’s happening in New York. Two weeks from now, it will be the rest of the country. Rather than abiding by this Easter Sunday scenario that the president is talking about, we should be in total lockdown. … I encourage everyone to stay home so we can overcome this pandemic.”

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent