NJ Expands COVID-19 Travel Quarantine To 35 States, Territories

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey updated its list of states in its travel advisory Tuesday, expanding the overall number subjected to quarantine as the resurgence of the coronavirus outbreak continues across the country. Two states have been added.

A total of 33 states and two territories are now included in the advisory, which "demands" travelers to quarantine for 14 days.

If you're going anywhere south, you'll still likely have to find a circuitous route in order to comply with the quarantine advisory, since nearly every state from Florida all the way up to Delaware is on the list. Indeed, you may have issues with traveling anywhere in the country (see list of states below).

Gov. Phil Murphy said Alaska and Delaware now meet the state's metrics to qualify for the advisory. Delaware has been on the list before, prompting an angry response from the state's governor, but it was subsequently removed. Now it's back on because of a rising transmission rate of cases.

The update comes as 400 new coronavirus cases and 10 more deaths were reported on Tuesday. Read more: NJ Coronavirus, School Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

New Jersey has had some recent local outbreaks, and Murphy said some of them were connected to out-of-state travel as well as indoor parties. He once again took patrons at Jersey Shore bars to task this past week for failing to maintain social distancing. Read more: Murphy Issues Warning After 5 Jersey Shore Bars Break COVID Rules

The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive coronavirus test rate higher than 10 residents per 100,000 over a seven-day rolling average, or a state with a 10 percent or higher positive rate over a seven-day rolling average.

Murphy said he will not follow New York's lead and consider fining people if they don't fill out paperwork after traveling from a high-risk state. He said New Jersey's travel advisory is voluntary, although he is "demanding" that people follow the quarantine rules.

“We cannot allow the tremendous progress we’ve made on our road back to serve as an excuse to let our guard down,” Murphy said. “It remains critically important for anyone arriving to New Jersey from these 35 states and territories to get tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine for 14 days.”

Here were the states and territories identified Tuesday:

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

Travelers and residents who are returning from the designated states should self-quarantine at their home, hotel or other temporary lodging, Murphy said. That includes people who left New Jersey, visited one of the states and then returned.

People should leave the place of self-quarantine only to seek medical care/treatment or to obtain food and other essential items.

Travelers and residents returning from impacted states typically will not need to check in with public health officials, unless they are involved in contact tracing efforts or required to do so by their employer or any other federal, state or local law or order.

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