Vermont orders quarantine for visitors amid new COVID-19 outbreak

Vermont has implemented a new quarantine requirement for those visiting the state for nonessential travel as officials battle a rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Under the guidelines, which took effect Tuesday, those entering the state for nonessential travel are required to quarantine for 14 days, while those who test negative for the virus must quarantine for seven days.

The order does not apply to people traveling for essential purposes, which includes personal safety, medical care, caring for others, parental shared custody, to get food, attend school or conduct “essential work.”

Vermont previously had a travel map that dictated quarantine requirements for visitors.

The Green Mountain State has had the lowest positivity rate in the country, though it reported 72 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the highest single-day total in the state. The previous record was 70 cases, which was set on April 3. 

The state has had 2,535 infections since the pandemic began.

“It’s important for everyone to see this data and recognize we are not in the same place today as we’ve been over the last several months, even while we continue to lead the country in many ways,” Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) said in a statement Tuesday. “Though we’re not seeing the alarming growth many of our neighbors are seeing, we have to take action to ensure we don’t get to that point.”

The U.S. became the first country to pass 10 million confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, a milestone that comes as experts warn of a surge this fall and winter. The nation is averaging more than 111,000 new cases per day. 

Cases rose 34 percent across the Northeast region of the country since last week, according to modeling by Vermont’s Department of Health.