As U.S. COVID cases surge, NY quarantines travelers from hot spots

The United States tracked more than 36,000 cases of COVID-19 yesterday, the third highest daily count ever. According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, the country now has 2,369,806 cases, including 121,846 deaths.

In response to growing case counts across the country, the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut today announced they will require self-quarantine for 14 days of visitors from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington, Reuters reported.

“We have taken our people, the three of us from these three states, through hell and back, and the last thing we need to do right now is subject our folks to another round,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. The Tri-State area was the hardest hit during the initial months of the U.S. pandemic, with New York City the epicenter of viral activity.

Today, California confirmed 6,652 cases, Florida tracked 5,508 cases, and Arizona saw 3,591 cases. Those are all the highest cases ever reported in each state. And for the second day in a row Texas recorded more than 5,000 new cases today.

Yesterday Governor Greg Abbott urged Texans to stay home if possible.

“First, we want to make sure that everyone reinforces the best safe practices of wearing a mask, hand sanitization, maintaining safe distance, but importantly, because the spread is so rampant right now, there’s never a reason for you to have to leave your home. Unless you do need to go out, the safest place for you is at your home,” he said.