Massachusetts

Mass. Travel Restriction List Hasn't Changed in Over a Week, Despite Spiking Cases in NY

The only remaining low-risk states other than D.C. are New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

New York remains listed as a low-risk state on Massachusetts' travel order, even as the state is dealing with a major spike in cases and hospitalizations.

The Massachusetts COVID-19 travel order page was last updated on Oct. 3, more than 10 days ago, when Colorado, New Jersey and New Mexico were removed from the lower-risk states and the District of Columbia was added as low-risk.

The remaining low-risk states other than D.C. are New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut. Rhode Island is the only New England state not categorized as low risk.

The list is typically updated weekly, but the state said no adjustments were made last week.

Statewide hospitalizations hit 923 in New York Tuesday, the highest total since June 25; they've more than doubled in the last month. Yet according to the Massachusetts COVID-19 travel restrictions, people are still allowed to travel from New York to Massachusetts without quarantining.

Acknowledging an anticipated rise in coronavirus cases in the coming months, Gov. Charlie Baker emphasized that the state is more prepared to handle it on Tuesday.

To be included on Massachusetts' low-risk list, states must have below six average daily cases per 100,000 people and positive test rates below 5%.

Travelers from states not on the low-risk list must fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and quarantine for 14 days, according to the state's guidelines. That includes anyone who's coming from one of the low-risk states but stayed "for more than a transitory period of time in the last 14 days" in a higher-risk state.

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