Trump refuses to quarantine in New Jersey after visiting county with 'high' coronavirus activity

President is campaigning in a Wisconsin county on Thursday with a 'high' level of Covid activity

Donald Trump will opt out of a new coronavirus quarantine policy in effect in New Jersey when he visits his golf resort in Bedminster at the weekend, the White House says, as he heads into a Covid-heavy county in Wisconsin on Thursday.

"The president of the United States is not a civilian," White House spokesman Judd Deere said. "Anyone who is in close proximity to him, including staff, guests, and press are tested for Covid-19 and confirmed to be negative."

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, along with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced on Wednesday that each state would "invite" travellers entering their states from ones with high numbers of coronavirus cases to self-quarantine for 14 days.

Mr Trump visited Arizona earlier this week amid a spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths there. The state's health department reported a one-day high record of 3,591 cases on Tuesday.

The department also reported 1,795 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday morning, about half the previous day's single-day record of 3,591.

The president travelled to Wisconsin on Thursday, and he is again headed into a Covid-heavy zone.

His schedule in the 2020 swing state starts with the taping of a Fox News town hall in Green Bay, which is in Brown County. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services on Wednesday released data that said Brown has a "high" level of coronavirus activity.

Later, the president will tour a Fincantieri Marinette Marine facility in Marinette that earlier this year won the first part of a $5bn US Navy contract to start building as many as 10 missile frigate ships. The Marinette-based company says it will eventually hire 1,000 more workers.

That city is in a county with the same name – and a "medium" level of Covid activity, according to the Wisconsin DHS.

White House officials said all precautions to adhere to Arizona policies were used during his Tuesday visit, and they will do the same in Wisconsin.

His visit comes as multiple polls there show Mr Trump trailing former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, by double digits. Mr Trump won the state in 2016 by less than 1 percentage point.