Although summer is in full swing, that doesn’t mean that the coronavirus has taken a summer vacation. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic is still in full effect, even though New Jersey is on the road to reopening. States across the country are currently going through the same pandemic-related events that NJ was going through just a few months back — sheltering in place, statewide quarantines, and travel advisories. In order to keep NJ residents safe and slow the spread of the virus throughout the country, the State of New Jersey has issued an official travel advisory for the state— here are the details and your FAQs answered.
About the Travel Advisory
“New Jersey welcomes travel to and from our state,” the official site of the State of New Jersey reads. “However, to save lives and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the State has issued an incoming travel advisory that all individuals entering New Jersey from states with a significant spread of COVID-19 quarantine for 14-days after leaving that state.”
See More: Latest Jersey City + Hoboken COVID-19 Updates as of July 7, 2020
This advisory from the State essentially means that in conjunction with the 14-day quarantine travel advisory NJ Governor Phil Murphy, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, any NJ resident that has traveled to or returned from one of the current COVID-19 hotspot states is “advised to self-quarantine.” The State of NJ website also clarifies that this advisory includes travel by car, bus, train, plane, and any other form of transportation.
The states included in that advisory are those that have been identified to “have a positive COVID-19 test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or have a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average.”
It is also important to note that the State says that this is a voluntary self-quarantine, but complying with this advisory is expected.
The List of States
The list of states that currently meet the above criteria {as of August 20th} are:
- – Alabama
- – Alaska
- – Arkansas
- – Arizona
- – California
- – Delaware
- – Florida
- – Georgia
- – Hawaii
- – Iowa
- – Idaho
- – Illinois
- – Indiana
- – Kansas
- – Kentucky
- – Louisiana
- – Maryland
- – Mississippi
- – Minnesota
- – Missouri
- – Montana
- – Nebraska
- – New Mexico
- – North Carolina
- – North Dakota
- – Nevada
- – Ohio
- – Oklahoma
- – Puerto Rico
- – South Carolina
- – South Dakota
- – Tennessee
- – Texas
- – Utah
- – Virginia
- – Virgin Islands
- – Wisconsin
Exemption to the Travel Advisory
This is a lot of information to digest and it might muster up a few questions, including any exemptions to the advisory. Luckily, there are a few. The State of New Jersey says that the advisor does not apply “to any individual passing through designated states for a limited duration through the course of travel” — this means any sort of passage through the state, like via train travel, rest stops, layovers, etc.
NJ also notes that anyone who is traveling to one of these states for business, seasonal migrant farm work, and critical infrastructure work are also exempt from this advisory. Find the full list of exemptions and more information about each one here.
Read More: Daily Coronavirus Tracker for Hoboken + Jersey City
Where to Get Tested
If you’ve traveled to one of these hotspots or are looking to get tested, there are numerous testing sites throughout Hudson County and New Jersey to get a COVID-19 test. In Hoboken, Riverside Medical Group has a COVID-19 testing center in North Hoboken for all Hoboken residents and employees of Hoboken businesses. In order to be tested, you must call 201-420-5621, Monday through Friday from 9:00AM until 1:00PM to register for an appointment. Additionally, Prompt MD is offering COVID-19 testing at 309 1st Street. Learn more here.
In Jersey City, there are a number of testing locations for residents, according to Mayor Fulop. The two locations are a walk-up testing center for all Jersey City residents at 140 MLK Drive {in the Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center} and a drive-thru location at the former DPW Complex 575 NJ-440, Jersey City. The city is providing free testing to any resident requesting it, even those without symptoms. Call for appointments between 9:00AM-5:00PM seven days a week. The number to schedule an appointment is 201-547-5535. For those getting tested at the 465 Marin Boulevard walk-up site, appointments are no longer required.
For a full list of where to get tested throughout NJ, please visit the State of NJ’s testing site locator.
As this travel advisory continues to develop and the list changes, we will keep you updated with the latest information.
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