3 More States Added To CT Quarantine List

CONNECTICUT — Three new states have been added to the state's coronavirus travel advisory, bringing the total to 19 states.

On June 24, the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for travelers coming into the region from states with high rates of coronavirus infections.

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On Tuesday, state officials added Delaware, Kansas and Oklahoma to that list of states. The list now includes:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• California
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Idaho
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• North Carolina
• Nevada
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah

Any state with a positive coronavirus test rate of 10 percent or greater over a seven-day period will fall into that list; another measure used will be the rate of daily new cases per 100,000 people in a state. The list of states subject to the rules will be updated weekly, said Acting Connecticut Department of Health Commission Deidre Gifford.

The rules will also apply to Connecticut residents who travel to hard-hit states like Florida and Texas.

The addition of three more states comes less than a week after Gov. Ned Lamont announced changes and updates to the state's quarantine travel advisory.

"If someone arrives to Connecticut from an impacted state, self-quarantining for 14 days remains the best option, however the updated guidance permits travelers to enter the state if they test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to arriving," reads a news release from the governor's office.

See also: CT's Quarantine Order For Travelers Updated, Amended By Lamont

A further clarification on the state's website states: "Can travelers be tested for COVID-19 instead of self-quarantine? Quarantine is the best option to prevent spread of disease. However, if a 14-day self-quarantine is not possible, travelers from the impacted states may enter Connecticut if they have had a negative viral test (not an antibody test) for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to travel."

Many people have asked about how the travel advisory is being enforced. Here is how state officials explain the enforcement part of this order:

"In order to protect health and safety and limit the spread of COVID-19, travelers from impacted states are strongly urged to carefully follow the Travel Advisory. It will be up to individuals to abide by the advisory."

The tri-state area was the hardest-hit area of the country at the beginning of the pandemic. Infections and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus have been dropping since about mid-April.

The decision to implement the quarantine was difficult, Lamont said.

"We reluctantly came to the conclusion that this is what we have to do so our region stays safe," Lamont said.

See also: New CT Quarantine Order For Certain Travelers

"I'm also looking over my shoulder and I'm seeing what's happening in other state in this country right now and Connecticut is not an island and our region is not an island," Lamont said. "We can't put up a wall, we can be careful."