MD Lands On Quarantine Order Again, Must Isolate In CT, NJ, NY

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A recent spike in coronavirus infections has returned Maryland to the quarantine order of three states. When travelers from Maryland head to Connecticut, New Jersey, or New York, they will have to self-isolate for 14 days.

The influx in cases and placement on the the travel mandate comes a week after Gov. Larry Hogan said all Maryland jurisdictions can enter the third and final stage of coronavirus recovery. That means movie theaters and concert venues can reopen at a limited capacity, pending their county's transition into Stage 3. Restaurants can also increase their volume from 50 percent to 75 percent when their county permits.

Twenty of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions moved into the final phase on Friday, allowing all their business to reopen. Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Montgomery County and Prince George's County remain in Stage 2.

“I want to remind the people of Maryland that moving into Stage 3 does not mean that this crisis is behind us," Hogan said last week. "We must remain vigilant so we can keep Maryland open for business.”

The Quarantine Order

This is Maryland's second stint on the list, which was born on June 24. Travel from the state was previously restricted from July 21 to Aug. 25.

Maryland joins Delaware, Ohio and West Virginia as this week's additions to the travel order, which is updated each Tuesday around noon. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands fell off the regulation this week.

To land on the trio's coronavirus quarantine mandate, states must have either:

1. An average of more than 10 new cases-per-100,000 residents per day over a rolling seven days.
2. Or an average positivity rate of more than 10 percent over a rolling seven days.

Maryland's weekly average of 10.34 new coronavirus infections-per-100,000 people per day secured the state a spot on the travel advisory. As long as Maryland averages more than 604 coronavirus cases-per-day in a given week, it will remain on the list of troubled states.

The surge in cases follows a period when infections trended steadily downward. The average number of coronavirus cases-per-day hit a recent low of 512 on Aug. 31. That translates to a case rate of 8.47.

In just over a week, those numbers have shot up. The state now averages 625 new coronavirus cases-per-day.

The case rate hit its ceiling of 18.03 on May 5 and eventually receded to its minimum of 5.6 on June 24.

That case rate took a steady hike in early July, eventually landing Maryland on the quarantine mandate for the first time. Health experts attribute this swell in infections to Independence Day parties. Though cases eventually fell, officials worry Labor Day gatherings may multiply cases once again.

"If we stay vigilant together, the road ahead can be a lot smoother," Prince George's County Health Officer Dr. Ernest Carter said ahead of Labor Day. "If we don't wear masks, if we don't stay 6 feet apart and we are not smart about our personal gatherings this weekend, we might as well buckle up for another big surge."

Maryland added 356 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 113,239 infections. The state also reported three more coronavirus-related deaths Tuesday. The virus has killed 3,663 Marylanders.

The state's positivity rate has seen a uptick since it bottomed out at 3.08 percent on Aug. 21. On Sunday, the seven-day rolling average was 3.84 percent, which was the highest since Aug. 2's positivity rate of 4.02 percent.

Now, the average sits at 3.68 percent. The weekly positivity rate topped out at 26.88 percent on April 17.

Hospitalizations have trended downward since they hit a recent peak of 592 on Aug. 1. Tuesday's 365 hospitalizations are down from their overall peak of 1,711 on April 30.

Visitors who break the travel order face different consequences in each state. Marylanders heading to New York could face a $2,000 fine if they fail to complete a traveler health form. The questionnaire asks visitors about their potential exposure to coronavirus, symptoms and lodging plans. This form helps New York with contact tracing if that person eventually tests positive for coronavirus.

Connecticut has threatened a $1,000 fine for travelers who break the state's quarantine mandate. New Jersey won't fine violators.

Maryland also has its own travel order. Hogan implemented the advisory on July 29, after spending months saying Maryland would not restrict travel from other states.

The mandate does not prohibit out of state visitation. The advisory instead discourages travel to states with a positivity rate greater than 10 percent.

Travelers coming from those states should immediately get a coronavirus test when they return to Maryland. These travelers should also quarantine until they receive a negative test result, the order says. These 11 states are currently on Maryland's quarantine and test mandate:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Florida
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• South Carolina
• Texas

More than 27.3 million people around the world have been infected by coronavirus. Global deaths from the virus total more than 893,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, 6.3 million people have been infected, and more than 189,000 have died from coronavirus.

Connecticut has fewer cases than Maryland, with 53,782. The state most recently averaged 64.71 infections-per-day over the past week, leaving Connecticut with a new infection clip of 1.82 per 100,000 residents each day.

New Jersey had 194,667 cases, as of Saturday. The Garden State tallied 385.86 infections-per-day during the last week on record, giving New Jersey a case rate rate of about 4.34 new cases-per-day per 100,000 residents.

New York's 440,578 infections are the fourth most in the country. The Empire State counted 724 new cases-per-day last week. That's a case rate of 3.72.

Connecticut, New Jersey and New York all have case rates at least half the size of Maryland's.

Residents can track which states are currently on the northeastern pact's quarantine list at this link. Visitors traveling through the states for less than 24 hours do not have to self-isolate, nor do essential workers.

The 14-day quarantine helps slow the spread of coronavirus from troubled states. Coronavirus has a two-week incubation period, meaning somebody might not show symptoms for the first 14 days they are sick. If somebody does not show symptoms after 14 days, they are significantly less likely to have coronavirus.

As of Tuesday, travelers from these 35 states and territories must quarantine for two weeks when traveling to Connecticut, New Jersey or New York:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Guam
• Hawaii
• Iowa
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Illinois
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Mississippi
• Montana
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• Oklahoma
• Ohio
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

RELATED:

• Movie Theaters, Concert Venues Can Reopen: Hogan's Plan Explained
• Marylanders Must Now Quarantine When Visiting CT, NJ, NY

Have a story idea? Please contact me at jacob.baumgart@patch.com with any pitches, tips or questions. Follow me on Twitter @JacobBaumgart and on Facebook @JacobBaumgartJournalist to stay up-to-date with the latest Anne Arundel County and Prince George's County news.