As reports indicate that there has been a significant rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have made what many feel is an unprecedented move.
Residents from a list of 31 states are now required to go into quarantine for no less than 14 days upon arrival in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Although Governor Cuomo admitted that the quarantine is by no means perfect, it does increase the ability to protect his residents from the risk of an increase in the spread of the virus.
At one time, Minnesota had been amongst those on the list but has since been removed. States now included and added to the list are Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, and Washington.
In a recent conference call, Cuomo emphasized that "the infection rate across the country is getting worse, not better." This rise in positive cases prompted the three states to issue a joint travel advisory last month to stem the increase of reports of the virus.
Included in the 31-state list is two of what is considered the country's active hot-spot areas—Texas and Florida—where the virus appears to be spreading at a rapid rate. The advisory also includes those states that report a seven-day rolling average of positive tests that exceed 10%, or 10 per 100,00, of its residents.
Governor Cuomo’s office stated that on Monday, 724 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 were hospitalized—a number that had successfully plunged after its peak in mid-April. Although the overall percentage of results returning positive had plateaued at or around 1% since mid-June, in 66,000 tests conducted on Monday, 1.2% returned as positive.
Cuomo's administration also reported that 25,058 people who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus had died in hospitals and nursing homes. Over the past week, New York has reported that, on average, ten residents had died each day of COVID-19.
Although Cuomo had praised the residents of New York for working to flatten the curve, his administration made note that they are keeping an eye on what could be potential spikes in the virus in Bronx, Long Island, and parts of upstate.
Will more states be added to the list as the numbers go up?