Philly residents advised against traveling to Delaware due to COVID-19 risk

Philadelphia officials are now recommending that residents avoid traveling to 18 states, including Delaware, that have been deemed COVID-19 hotspots.

People traveling to Philadelphia from those states also should self-quarantine for 14 days, according to travel guidance from the Department of Public Health.

If residents are unable to self-isolate for two weeks, they should wear a face covering around non-household members, such as coworkers, and monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms.

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Anyone who experiences symptoms should get tested, officials said. They should remain at home until 10 days after their symptoms cease or a diagnostic test comes back negative. 

Philly health officials are using a three-color coding system to highlight each states' risk of COVID-19 transmission. 

Those with the highest risk – any state where new cases exceed 90 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period – have been designated as red. 

This includes the 18 states impacted by the travel advisory: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. 

States where the rate of new cases fall between 33-89 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period have been shaded pink. Those with the lowest risk have been designated as grey. 

Delaware is the only "red" state within a short drive of Philadelphia. There have been 1,021 new coronavirus cases there over the past seven days, but that gives the state a ratio of 105.6 cases per 100,000 residents – well above the threshold for the highest risk. 

The travel advisory comes as COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise across many states.

New Jersey, shaded grey by Philly health officials, has implemented a more similar travel advisory. 

It applies to people traveling from states where the COVID-19 transmission rate either exceeds 10 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day stretch or more than 10% of the total population has tested positive over a week.

Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington currently meet at least one of those criteria. 

New Jersey residents who travel to impacted states also are expected to self-quarantine for two weeks upon returning home.