4 More States Added to Conn. Travel Advisory of COVID-19 Hotspots, 2 Territories Removed

Four additional states have been added to Connecticut’s list of COVID-19 hotspots and two territories have been removed.

On Tuesday, the State of Connecticut updated its travel advisory and the list of states considered COVID-19 hotspots.

Delaware, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia were added to the list while Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands were removed.

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WEEKLY CONNECTICUT TRAVEL ADVISORY UPDATE:

➡️Added to impacted locations: DE, MD, OH, WV

➡️Removed from impacted locations: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

If you're entering Connecticut from these locations, you need to quarantine 14 days. See full list⬇️https://t.co/gZjVfum7Wt

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) September 8, 2020

Anyone traveling to Connecticut from any of the areas on the list or Connecticut residents traveling home from these areas must quarantine for two weeks.and complete the Travel Health Form if they have spent 24 four hours or more in an state on the list within 14 days of arriving in Connecticut.It does not apply for anyone who will be in Connecticut for less than 24 hours. (See the frequently asked questions below for more information.)

The governors of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey enacted a travel advisory order with a quarantine requirement at the end of June to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the region and keep infection rates low in the region.

The travel advisory is updated on a weekly basis to include states and territories with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than 10 percent over a week.

Current List of COVID-19 Hotspots

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arkansas
4. California
5. Delaware
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Guam
9. Hawaii
10. Iowa
11. Idaho
12. Illinois
13. Indiana
14. Kansas
15. Kentucky
16. Louisiana
17. Maryland
18. Minnesota
19. Missouri
20. Mississippi
21. Montana
22. North Carolina
23. North Dakota
24. Nebraska
25. Nevada
26. Oklahoma
27. Ohio
28. South Carolina
29. South Dakota
30. Tennessee
31. Texas
32. Utah
33. Virginia
34. West Virginia
35. Wisconsin

These were the COVID-19 hotspots on the list last week:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. Arkansas
4. California
5. Florida
6. Georgia
7. Guam
8. Hawaii
9. Iowa
10. Idaho
11. Illinois
12. Indiana
13. Kansas
14. Kentucky
15. Louisiana
16. Minnesota
17. Missouri
18. Mississippi
19. Montana
20. North Carolina
21. North Dakota
22. Nebraska
23. Nevada
24. Oklahoma
25. Puerto Rico
26. South Carolina
27. South Dakota
28. Tennessee
29. Texas
30. Utah
31. Virgin Islands
32. Virginia
33. Wisconsin

Frequently Asked Questions about Connecticut's Travel Policies

(The frequently asked questions are from the state's website.)

1. How is this going to be enforced? Failure to self-quarantine or to complete the Travel Health Form may result in a civil penalty of $1,000 for each violation.
2. How are the affected states chosen? The advisory applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average. The list of states is fluid and will be updated weekly on Tuesdays on this website.
3. Who does the advisory apply to? The requirement to self-quarantine and complete the Travel Health Form is applicable to any traveler who has spent 24 hours or longer in an affected state within 14 days prior to arriving in Connecticut but does not include an individual remaining in Connecticut for less than 24 hours. These requirements are also applicable to Connecticut residents who are returning from a visit to an affected state.
4. What does self-quarantine mean? Self-quarantine means to stay home or in your designated self-quarantine location, separate yourself from others, and monitor your health. You should not enter any public places, including, but not limited to, restaurants, pools, meeting rooms, or gatherings, during the mandatory period of self-quarantine. You may leave your designated self-quarantine location for medical visits, to obtain medication or to shop for groceries. A self-quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. The self-quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms.
5. If I am traveling from an affected state to Connecticut to seek or obtain medical treatment, am I required to self-quarantine when I arrive in Connecticut? Yes, you are required to self-quarantine when you arrive in Connecticut from an affected state if you were in such affected state for 24 hours or longer within 14 days prior to arriving in Connecticut. While you are required to self-quarantine, you may leave your designated self-quarantine location to go to your medical procedure or other medical appointment. When you do leave your designated self-quarantine location and when in public after your mandatory self-quarantine period, you are required to wear a face covering when in public and when a six-foot distance from others is unavoidable, unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing one and you have written documentation that you are qualified for the exemption from a licensed medical provider, the Department of Developmental Services or other state agency that provides or supports services for people with emotional, intellectual or physical disabilities, or a person authorized by any such agency.
6. What if I am returning to Connecticut after visiting a state that was not on the list of affected states when I arrived, but was added to the list of affected states during my stay? While Executive Order 7III and the Commissioner of Public Health’s Travel Advisory require an affected traveler to self-quarantine upon arrival in Connecticut, the Department of Public Health will not pursue or levy civil penalties against an affected traveler who arrives in Connecticut following a stay in a state that was not on the list of affected states when the traveler arrived (including instances in which the traveler arrived in a state prior to the effective date of Executive Order 7III) but became an affected state during the affected traveler’s stay, provided the affected traveler returns to Connecticut not more than seven days following the date such state was added to the list of affected states. Although the Department of Public Health will not pursue civil penalties against such travelers, all such travelers are still strongly encouraged to make every effort to self-quarantine. In addition, such affected travelers are still required to complete a Travel Health Form upon arrival in Connecticut and may be subject to civil penalties by the Department of Public Health for failure to do so.
7. Are there any exemptions for essential workers who have to travel for work? Yes. Workers traveling from affected states to Connecticut and from Connecticut to affected states who work in critical infrastructure as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, including students in exempt health care professions, and any state, local, and federal officials and employees, are exempt from the self-quarantine requirement when such travel is work-related. Such essential workers are required to complete the Travel Health Form.
8. If I am a Connecticut essential worker and must travel to an affected state for a funeral of a family member or to have an end of life visit with a loved one, am I required to self-quarantine upon my return to Connecticut? A Connecticut essential worker who travels to an affected state for certain reasons and satisfies the testing alternative is exempt from the self-quarantine requirement, but only for purposes of going to work, and shall self-quarantine for any portion of the 14-day self-quarantine period that he or she is not working. The permitted reasons are: travel to Connecticut to drop-off a child at school, to attend to a family member or a loved one whose physical or mental health or well-being is at risk, to attend to a family member or loved one’s medical procedure, or to assist with end of life care, to have an end of life visit, or to attend the funeral of a family member or loved one. The testing alternative requires that the essential worker (1) have had a negative test result for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to arriving in Connecticut and (2) have provided written proof of such test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to: DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to: 860-326-0529. If a test was obtained in the 72 hours prior to travel but the result is still pending at the time of arrival in Connecticut, such essential worker shall remain in self-quarantine in Connecticut until the test result is received and, if such test result is negative, the result is submitted to the Commissioner. If the test result is positive and the essential worker is asymptomatic, he or she shall self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test; if symptomatic, he or she should seek medical assistance. The essential worker is required to complete the Travel Health Form.
9. If I am an essential worker who visited an affected state on vacation, am I required to self-quarantine upon my return to Connecticut? Yes, essential workers who travel to Connecticut from an affected state or from Connecticut to an affected state for vacation are required to self-quarantine and complete the Travel Health Form.
10. How long is the self-quarantine? The advisory requires visitors to Connecticut from affected states to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time they were last in the affected state. If you board a plane in an affected state today, and land in Connecticut today, your 14 days begins today. If you are in Connecticut for a period less than 14 days, you should plan to be in self-quarantine throughout your visit. If you left an affected state and spent time in non-affected states prior to arriving in Connecticut, you start counting your 14-day period from the time you left the affected state and if only five of those 14 days are spent in Connecticut, you will need to self-quarantine in Connecticut for those five days.
11. If I am coming to Connecticut to a hotel or bed and breakfast, can I do the self-quarantine there? Yes. Travelers are required to self-quarantine at their home, or a hotel or other temporary lodging. Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey are all asking hotels to communicate the 14-day self-quarantine requirements to guests who have traveled from one of the affected states.
12. Does the self-quarantine requirement also extend to passengers flying to Connecticut on connecting flights that stop in high infection states before arriving in Connecticut? No. The requirement to self-quarantine does not apply to travelers who have a layover in an affected state, provided the layover is for less than 24 hours. If you spend 24 hours or longer in the affected state, you must self-quarantine when you arrive in Connecticut.
13. If I live in Connecticut and have a household member or guest returning from an affected state, do I and other household members who have not traveled to an affected state also need to self-quarantine? Out-of-state visitors from affected states are encouraged to postpone travel. If it is not possible to delay travel, visitors are encouraged to self-quarantine in the home they are returning to in Connecticut. If it is not possible to self-quarantine from other household members, those other household members who did not travel from an affected state are not required to self-quarantine.
14. Can travelers be tested for COVID-19 instead of self-quarantine? In general, no. The narrow exemption from the self-quarantine requirement applies only to travelers who satisfy the testing requirement and who travel to Connecticut to drop-off a child at school, to attend to a family member or a loved one whose physical or mental health or well-being is at risk, to attend to a family member or loved one’s medical procedure, or to assist with end of life care, to have an end of life visit, or to attend the funeral of a family member or loved one. These travelers are exempt from the self-quarantine requirement strictly for the limited purpose of attending to the event or circumstance that renders him or her unable to self-quarantine. Other than attending that event or circumstance, travelers from affected states are still required to self-quarantine for any portion of the 14-day period while in Connecticut. Any travelers unable to quarantine must still (1) get a negative test result for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to arriving in Connecticut and (2) provide written proof of such test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to 860-326-0529. If a test was obtained in the 72 hours prior to travel but the result is still pending at the time of arrival in Connecticut, such traveler shall remain in self-quarantine in Connecticut until the test result is received and, if such test result is negative, the result is submitted to the Commissioner of Public Health. If the test result is positive and the traveler is asymptomatic, he or she shall self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test; if symptomatic, he or she should seek medical assistance. Travelers who test positive for COVID-19 prior to traveling to Connecticut should delay such travel and consult with a medical professional. The traveler is required to complete the Travel Health Form.
15. What tests are acceptable for the testing option? Nucleic acid tests such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests are the only acceptable testing option. Neither rapid antigen tests nor antibody tests for COVID-19 satisfy the testing requirement for the testing exemption.
16. What does “unable to self-quarantine” mean?  The term "unable to self-quarantine" means the following circumstances: travel to Connecticut to drop-off a child at school, to attend to a family member or a loved one whose physical or mental health or well-being is at risk, to attend to a family member or loved one’s medical procedure, or to assist with end of life care, to have an end of life visit, or to attend the funeral of a family member or loved one. Returning to work is not a justification for being unable to self-quarantine. Individuals who plan voluntary travel to affected states should have arrangements with their employers to be self-quarantined for the two weeks after they return.
17. What if I am traveling to Connecticut to drop my child off at school. Am I required to self-quarantine? As stated above, a parent who is traveling to Connecticut from an affected state to drop his or her child off at school is considered to be “unable to self-quarantine” and, if such parent complies with the testing requirement, is exempt from the self-quarantine requirement strictly for the limited purpose of dropping a child off at school. Other than dropping a child off at school, any parent in this circumstance is still required to self-quarantine for any portion of the 14-day period. The testing requirement requires that such traveler (1) have had a negative test result for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to arriving in Connecticut and (2) have provided written proof of such test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to 860-326-0529. If a test was obtained in the 72 hours prior to travel but the result is still pending at the time of arrival in Connecticut, such traveler shall remain in self-quarantine in Connecticut until the test result is received and, if such test result is negative, the result is submitted to the Commissioner of Public Health. If the test result is positive and the traveler is asymptomatic, he or she shall self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test; if symptomatic, he or she should seek medical assistance. Travelers who test positive for COVID-19 prior to traveling to Connecticut should delay such travel and consult with a medical professional. Parents are required to complete a Travel Health Form upon arrival in Connecticut. If a parent is traveling to Connecticut from an affected state for school drop-off but is staying in Connecticut for less than 24 hours, the parent is not an affected traveler and therefore is not required to self-quarantine or to complete the Travel Health Form. Parents’ activities while they are here in Connecticut should be minimized to those critical to transitioning their child to their new environment.
18. If I am not able to self-quarantine while in Connecticut, and I was not able to get a test for COVID-19 from my state of origin in the 72 hours prior to arriving in Connecticut, can I get a COVID-19 test up to 24 hours after arriving in Connecticut to substitute for the requirement to self-quarantine while here? No. In order to fall under the testing exemption for the self-quarantine requirement, a traveler is required to have a test for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to arriving in Connecticut. There is no option to avoid the self-quarantine requirement through getting a COVID-19 test after you arrive in Connecticut. While testing in Connecticut after visiting from an affected state may provide a more recent measure of a traveler’s risk for developing COVID-19 from his or her entire trip, this additional testing does not eliminate the risk of spreading the virus to fellow travelers and to residents of Connecticut. Since the COVID-19 incubation period ranges from two (2) to 14 days, the 14-day self-quarantine period is the best method for preventing the spread of this virus from travelers visiting Connecticut from affected states. 
19. If I have already tested positive for COVID-19 and have recovered, do I need to self-quarantine upon my arrival to Connecticut? A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the three months prior to his or her arrival in Connecticut and who has clinically recovered, or who has not been symptomatic for a period of 10 days since symptom onset or such positive test if not symptomatic, is not required to self-quarantine upon his or her arrival to Connecticut, provided such person submits prior to or immediately upon arrival in Connecticut written proof of such test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to 860-326-0529. Such person is still required to complete a Travel Health Form upon arrival in Connecticut. A person who has had a positive test result for COVID-19 more than three months prior to arriving in Connecticut is required to self-quarantine and complete a Travel Health Form. 
20. What if I was in an affected state, have returned to Connecticut and have a court order that states that I may have custody of my child. Am I required to self-quarantine? Yes, you are required to self-quarantine upon your return to Connecticut. For any other custody questions, you should consult with your attorney.
21. I am a foreign student arriving for college/university. Do I need to self-quarantine? While there currently are no Connecticut restrictions on international travel, it is recommended that you self-quarantine, per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. For additional guidance on international travel, please visit the "COVID-19 Travel Recommendations" section of the CDC's website. Also, you should refer to your college or university’s requirements for returning to campus.
22. What happens if I come to Connecticut from an affected state and am self-quarantining while in Connecticut, but the other state comes off the list of affected states while I am here? Do I need to complete my self-quarantine period even while more recent arrivals have no self-quarantine or am I liberated from the remaining portion of my self-quarantine? Anyone who arrived from an affected state during the time that infections were higher needs to complete the self-quarantine period, even though newer arrivals are not required to self-quarantine since the risk from that state is lower once they are removed from the list of affected states.
23. May I complete the Travel Health Form after I have arrived in Connecticut? You are required to complete the Travel Health Form prior to or upon arrival in Connecticut (i.e., no later than 24 hours after you have arrived in Connecticut).
24. Should non-essential travel to affected states be avoided? Yes. Because of the risk of contracting infection, and because of the need to self-quarantine on return, Connecticut residents are urged to avoid travel to the affected states whenever possible.
25. If I know someone has traveled to Connecticut from an affected state and is in violation of the self-quarantine rule, is there a channel for reporting this? Anyone wanting to report any violations of the self-quarantine order can either call 2-1-1 or email covid19.dph@ct.gov.
26. What information do I need to submit for a suspected violation of the self-quarantine rule? To report a suspected violation under the Connecticut Travel Advisory, send an email to covid19.dph@ct.gov with "Travel Advisory Violation of Self-Quarantine" in the subject line with the following information:
    1. Your relationship to the individual suspected to be in violation (i.e. family member, co-worker, neighbor, healthcare provider, etc.)
    2. Information regarding how you were made aware of the suspected violation
    3. The individual suspected to be in violation:
    4. First and last name
    5. Address (home residence)
    6. Phone/email (if known)
    7. Address (where staying in Connecticut)
    8. Affected state from which the individual traveled
    9. Was his or her length of stay in an Affected State 24 hours or longer? Yes or No
    10. Was his or her length of stay in Connecticut 24 hours or longer? Yes or No
    11. Mode of entry into Connecticut (i.e. plane, car, bus, train, boat)
    12. Approximate date of arrival in Connecticut
    13. Description of suspected violation (for example, include information regarding the name and location of a public place or workplace visited - name and city)
27. If I get fined, is there any way I can dispute or appeal the fine? Any person who receives a notice of civil penalty may, within five business days of the date of the notice of civil penalty, request a hearing before the Commissioner of Public Health to contest the penalty. Such hearing, if requested, will be held within 15 business days of the Commissioner of Public Health’s receipt of the request.
28. May I be subject to legal ramifications other than civil penalties if I do not self-quarantine or complete the Travel Health Form? Yes, you may be subject to any other existing penalties that apply to violations of executive orders, including monetary penalties and imprisonment.

FAQs Concerning Adjacent Affected States

1. If there is a state bordering Connecticut (RI/MA/NY) that appears on the list of affected states, how does that state end up on the list? An adjacent state will appear on the list of affected state if it is state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.This is the threshold set collectively by Connecticut, New York and New Jersey triggering the self-quarantine requirement. Such states will be added to the list per Governor Lamont’s Executive Order 7III.
2. What does this mean for Connecticut residents who are traveling to this bordering state? Any Connecticut resident traveling to the adjacent state that is on the list of affected states who stays there for 24 hours or longer must self-quarantine for 14 days when he or she arrives back in Connecticut. If their visit to the neighboring affected state is less than 24 hours, the requirement to self-quarantine does not apply.
3. If I am a Connecticut resident who must go to an adjacent affected state for work, how does this impact me? Any Connecticut resident who needs to travel to an adjacent affected state for work is not subject to the self-quarantine requirement, so long as their time in the adjacent affected state is less than 24 hours. Any Connecticut resident who qualifies as an essential worker (e.g., as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) going to the bordering affected state for work-related travel is not subject to the self-quarantine requirement. Any Connecticut resident who commutes to an adjacent affected state and is unable to telecommute, and will only be in the affected state for less than 24 hours, is strongly advised to limit all other contact in that state while there. Employers in adjacent affected States can continue to expect employees who are Connecticut residents to continue to come to work as needed, though telework options are preferable if possible.
4. If I am a Connecticut resident who must go to an adjacent affected state for work, are there precautions I should take? Yes. First, we encourage you to telework if appropriate and allowed by your employer. Second, you should limit your activities while in that state to your workplace only. Avoid other public places and events while in the affected state.
5. Should I cancel my travel plans to an adjacent affected state? What if I just want to go to the beach for a day and not stay overnight? If you plan to travel to any adjacent affected state for vacation, you are advised to change those travel plans in order to ensure you and your friends and family stay healthy. Traveling to the beach for a day in an adjacent affected state does not trigger the self-quarantine requirement but is still not advised at this time when COVID-19 infections in that state have grown.
6. What does this mean for anyone traveling from an adjacent affected State to Connecticut? Any travelers who have spent 24 hours or longer in an adjacent affected state and plan on spending 24 hours or longer in Connecticut must fill out the Travel Health Form and self-quarantine for 14 days while in Connecticut or for the duration of their stay if shorter.
7. If I live in an adjacent affected state but work in Connecticut, can I still go to work? Yes. The self-quarantine requirement does not apply to residents of adjacent affected states who must come into Connecticut for work, so long as their stay in Connecticut is less than 24 hours. Connecticut employers can continue to expect any employees from adjacent affected states to come to work as needed, though telework options are preferred if possible. Any resident from an adjacent affected state who is unable to telecommute and is spending less than 24 hours in Connecticut is also strongly encouraged to limit all contacts while in Connecticut. Connecticut employers with employees who are residents of adjacent affected states should make every effort to provide telework options or otherwise limit employee time in Connecticut.
8. How long will this self-quarantine requirement be in effect and how might it change? If COVID-19 prevalence and infection numbers improve in the adjacent affected state and the adjacent state no longer has a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average, that state will come off the list of affected states and the self-quarantine requirement will no longer apply to travel from there. The list of affected states comes out once a week every Tuesday.  Check www.ct.gov/coronavirus/travel for more information.