10 more states added to the self-quarantine list

Ten more states with rising COVID-19 infections were added Tuesday to the list of states from which travelers to Connecticut or residents returning home must self-quarantine for 14 days or show proof of a negative test.

The list and quarantine orders, now totaling 31 states and a solid majority of the nation’s population, are directed jointly by New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. No New England state is on the list.

New states on the list are Alaska, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia and Washington. Delaware returned to the list after a one week hiatus. Minnesota was removed from the list.

The 22 states continuing on the list are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

“The number of people from those highly infected states has dropped by better than half since we announced the quarantine, you know, 10 days ago,” Gov. Ned Lamont said during an unrelated news conference in Windsor on Tuesday. “We also wanted to make sure people knew how seriously we are taking the quarantine. And that’s why we’ve got an online way that you have to self-certify, you have to say ‘I’ve tested negative or I’m going to quarantine for 14 days.’”

Also Tuesday, the state Department of Public Health reported no new fatalities, holding the total at 4,406. A net increase of eight hospitalizations brought that total to 62 statewide. The state reported 5,548 new COVID-19 tests, with 41 new positives cases, a rate of 0.7 percent.

That rate is especially notable since the states on the quarantine list have either a 10 percent positive test rate over a seven-day rolling average, or a sevenday average of 10 new daily cases per 100,000 residents. Connecticut’s average has been about 1.5 new daily cases per 100,000 people.

Lamont said Monday he will institute a $1,000 fine for travelers who refuse to quarantine or fill out a form stating their quarantine plans.

State of Connecticut graphic Ten more states with rising COVID-19 infections were added Tuesday to the list of states from which travelers to Connecticut or residents returning home must self-quarantine for 14 days or show proof of a negative test.