The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington issued a joint travel advisory on Friday, wherein they urged people coming into their states to self-quarantine for 14-days. They also advised all residents to avoid all travel outside their states except for essential purposes.
The list of people who could travel for essential needs included those traveling out of the state for work or study; people offering key infrastructural support services, economic services, and logistical support; healthcare and emergency medicare; and safety and security personnel. The governors advised that residents traveling should limit their interactions to only members of their family while in transit.
“California just surpassed a sobering threshold – one million COVID-19 cases – with no signs of the virus slowing down,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Increased cases are adding pressure on our hospital systems and threatening the lives of seniors, essential workers, and vulnerable Californians. Travel increases the risk of spreading COVID-19, and we must all collectively increase our efforts at this time to keep the virus at bay and save lives.”
However, according to Newsom’s office, the travel advisory is voluntary and a recommendation to residents to be responsible and protect themselves against the virus while also ensuring the safety of others. The governor urged residents to do the right thing, as this was the most important weapon to fight a pandemic that has adversely impacted the lives of millions of people in the country, Kcra reports.
The travel advisory was issued Friday as coronavirus infections increased sporadically in almost every part of the country, which required that students in colleges across the country headed back home.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that enforcement officials would be stationed at the state’s airports during the festive season to ensure that travelers arriving in the state adhere to pandemic safety protocols outlined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cuomo said National Guard would be placed at entry and exit points in the state to ensure compliance with the travel advisory.
He also added that he’d had a meeting with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, where plans were discussed increasing the presence of the New York City Police Department in critical areas. The Friday travel advisory is in line with the CDC guidance, which says that traveling can increase a person’s chance of spreading and contracting the virus.
Keri Althoff, an associate professor in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said the risk of traveling by air was not restricted to only when the passengers were seated in the airplane. He said travelers should adhere to social distancing when standing in line, avoid touching their faces and facemasks and limit their usage of public bathrooms. He concluded by saying staying at home remains the best option at this point.
Source: cnbc.com
