West Coast states issue travel advisory ahead of Thanksgiving

West Coast states are jointly asking anyone who arrives from out of state to self-quarantine for 14 days.

The new advisories in California, Washington and Oregon are meant to discourage nonessential travel and apply to both residents and nonresidents. 

The travel advisories recommend individuals limit their interactions to their immediate household, defining essential travel as travel for work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care and safety and security.

The advisories reflect the reality that the coronavirus is spreading uncontrollably across the country, and are meant to dissuade large gatherings of people ahead of Thanksgiving.

But unlike some other states, quarantine is not mandated. 

“COVID-19 does not stop at state lines. As hospitals across the West are stretched to capacity, we must take steps to ensure travelers are not bringing this disease home with them,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) said in a statement. “If you do not need to travel, you shouldn’t. This will be hard, especially with Thanksgiving around the corner. But the best way to keep your family safe is to stay close to home.”

California on Thursday became the second state to hit 1 million cases, and its positivity rate has climbed to 4.2 percent in recent weeks.

Several cities in the state have imposed new restrictions amid rising case numbers, including San Francisco, which has prohibited indoor dining and reduced capacities in gyms and movie theaters. It has also frozen plans for schools to return to in-person classes.