New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio botched advice to a constituent who was calling for tips on self-quarantining after returning from a trip to Italy amid the coronavirus outbreak.
De Blasio hopped on New York City’s 311 line to help answer questions about the pandemic on Wednesday. While on the call, he directly contradicted advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention when a caller asked if she should stay home after getting back from Italy.
“No symptoms of any kind?” de Blasio asked, according to the New York Post. “If you experience any symptoms at any moment, at that time adjust your approach.”
However, the CDC designated Italy a level 3 threat due to its “widespread, ongoing transmission” of the virus, meaning anyone returning from the country is advised to self-isolate for two weeks, regardless of whether they show symptoms of being infected. Italy has been hit hardest by the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, putting the entire nation on lockdown. The country has more than 12,000 confirmed cases, and at least 827 people there have died.
“Stay home for 14 days from the time you left Italy, and practice social distancing,” the agency’s website recommends.
The former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate contradicted that advisory, telling the caller, “The important thing is to really be sensitive that if anything changes at all, stay home immediately.”
De Blasio’s office addressed the gaffe, saying the mayor misspoke during the call.
“The mayor misspoke,” spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein told the New York Post. “If you return from Italy, you should self-quarantine regardless of symptoms. We have made contact with the caller and clarified, and the mayor will be issuing a clarification as well.”
President Trump announced a 30-day travel ban from European countries Wednesday night to stem the spread of the virus.
“The European Union failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hot spots,” Trump said. “As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe.”
