Coronavirus

List of Quarantine-Restricted States Grows to 16 for Travelers Coming to Conn.

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What to Know

  • Conn., NY and NJ enacted a travel order on June 25 requiring travelers from states with high infection rates on COVID-19 based on rolling data to self-quarantine for 14 days
  • The travel quarantine covers Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah as of June 30
  • Connecticut currently has no penalty for violation of the self-quarantine order

The list of states impacted by a quarantine travel order doubled to 16 based on their latest coronavirus infection data as the rate of new coronavirus infections in the United States continues to grow.

The travel quarantine, which applies to state's where rolling infection rates are above a certain threshold, now covers Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Travelers to Connecticut from states meeting the quarantine criteria must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

The quarantine went into effect June 25 in collaboration with New York and New Jersey.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story said the governor said there was an exemption for the quarantine if travelers had a recent negative test result. A negative test result is being analyzed and explored as a possible policy but is not currently available as an exemption, according to the governor's office.

The joint travel advisory will not stop people from traveling, but it will require anyone coming in from states having a high infection rate to quarantine for 14 days.

"We welcome visitors but only if they self-quarantine from highly infectious states," Lamont said.

The criteria for states that have a high infection rate are 10 infections per 100,000 residents on a seven-day rolling average or 10 percent or higher of the state's total positive test rate on a rolling seven-day average.

As of June 24, Lamont said there were no fines or penalties planned at the moment for violation of the quarantine in Connecticut.

"Right now, it's going to be voluntary," Lamont said last week when asked how the quarantine will be enforced.

The state is focusing on "individual accountability" for compliance, said Josh Geballe, Connecticut's Chief Operating Officer.

"If we find that's not working, if we find that people are abusing that, we'll consider some stricter measures for enforcement," the governor said.

Lamont said the state notified hotels, short-term rentals and Airbnbs about the quarantine requirements. Passengers to Bradley Airport will see signs alerting them to the quarantine.

"Right now, we're very strict on publicity," Lamont said.

The governor said the number of airline passengers to Connecticut are down since the quarantine started.

PHASE 3 CONCERNS

Gov. Lamont said based on what he is seeing happen in other states facing COVID-19 spikes, he is "not in any great rush" to reopen bars.

Bars are currently scheduled to be a part of the state's Phase 3 reopening, which is set for mid to late July.

The governor said Tuesday that guidance would be provided in early July on when bars can reopen.


Frequently Asked Questions on Connecticut's Travel Advisory

The below is a frequently asked questions guide provided by the State of Connecticut:

How is this going to be enforced? This is an advisory and we are strongly urging visitors to Connecticut to take this step. It will be up to individuals to abide by the advisory.

How are the impacted states chosen? The advisory applies to any person arriving from a state with a daily positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate for COVID-19 tests over a 7-day rolling average. The list of states is fluid and will be updated weekly onto this website. This travel advisory also applies to Connecticut residents who are returning from a visit to the impacted states.

How long is the quarantine? The advisory is for visitors to Connecticut from the impacted states to quarantine and self-monitor for 14-days. Those coming for shorter stays can quarantine and self-monitor for less than that if their stay is shorter.

If I am coming to Connecticut to a hotel or bed and breakfast, can I do the quarantine there? Yes. Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are all asking hotels to communicate the 14-day quarantine to guests who have traveled from one of the impacted states.

Does the quarantine recommendation also extend to passengers flying to Connecticut on connecting flights that stop in high infection states before arriving in Connecticut? No. Quarantine does not apply to travelers who just have a layover in an impacted state.

If I live in Connecticut and have a household member or guest returning from an impacted state, do I and other household members who have not traveled to an impacted state also need to self quarantine? Out-of-state visitors from impacted states are encouraged to postpone travel. If not possible to delay travel, individuals are encouraged to self-quarantine in the home they are returning to in Connecticut. If not possible to self-quarantine from other household members, those other household members who did not travel from an impacted state are not required to self-quarantine.

Are there any exemptions for essential workers? Yes. Workers traveling from impacted states to Connecticut who work in critical infrastructure as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, including students in exempt health care professions, are exempted from the quarantine advisory. This includes any state, local, and federal officials and employees traveling in their official capacities on government business.

Download the free NBC Connecticut App for the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, including live news conferences, a town by town breakdown of the latest cases in our state and push alerts with breaking news updates

With the state announcing a travel quarantine for visitors from highly infected states, many Connecticut residents and businesses are having to adjust their summer plans.
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