New Mexico added to Connecticut’s COVID-19 travel advisory, making 33 states total; Northeast states inch closer to qualifying for quarantine list
Connecticut added New Mexico to its COVID-19 travel advisory Tuesday, making 33 states and two territories currently on the list.
New Mexico had previously fallen off the advisory on Aug. 11 but has since seen a slight increase in coronavirus cases. No other states or territories were added to or removed from the advisory Tuesday.
Though few states currently on the advisory are within easy driving distance of Connecticut, several in the Northeast have recently inched closer to qualifying. States are automatically added when they average 10 or more new coronavirus cases a day for every 100,000 residents or record a positivity rate of 10% or higher over a seven-day period.
As of Tuesday, Massachusetts has seen daily 9.1 cases per 100,000 residents over the past week, with Pennsylvania not far behind. Rhode Island, which is already listed on the advisory, has also watched its numbers climb in recent weeks.
Connecticut itself has recorded about eight daily cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, amid a pronounced uptick in the state’s positivity rate. A spokesperson for Gov. Ned Lamont said Tuesday he does not know what would happen if Connecticut qualified for its own advisory.
Visitors from states listed on the advisory must fill out a travel form upon arriving in Connecticut, then either present proof of a negative coronavirus test or quarantine for 14 days.
The advisory, created in partnership with New York and New Jersey, applies to anyone who visits Connecticut for more than 24 hours after spending more than 24 hours in a listed state. It includes an exemption for critical infrastructure workers who are traveling for business.
The advisory has fluctuated since it was implemented in June but in recent weeks has typically included between 28 and 34 states accounting for more than half the U.S. population.
The states and territories currently on the advisory are: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Alex Putterman can be reached at aputterman@courant.com.
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