Thornton: Expected Fortnight Quarantine Chilling Tourists’ Reservations

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CREST HAVEN – In the peak of the annual tourist season, telephones on front desks of Cape May County hotels and motels are usually ringing with reservation seekers. Things are different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the July 21 caucus meeting of freeholders, held via Zoom, Director Gerald Thornton said that he had just gotten off the telephone with a hotel-motel association.
Thornton cited the recent addition of Virginia to the list of states (totaling 31) that have travelers self-quarantine for 14 days when they arrive in New Jersey, due to the virus threat.
The self-quarantine is voluntary, but compliance is expected, according to the governor’s COVID-19 website.
Thornton said, “These people are calling and canceling their reservations because they think if they come to New Jersey they have to quarantine for 14 days. I don’t know how much sense that makes. The issue is, people have to be responsible for themselves. That’s the issue here.”
“They have to be responsible for wearing masks and distancing,” he added.
“I can tell you this is going to be critical here for our economy, in Cape May County, and I’m not sure that we’re going to recover. I’ve got so much concern here,” Thornton continued.
Further, he pointed to the possible September re-opening of public schools for two days on, a day off for cleaning, and two days on, as a problem to be considered for county employees who must care for their children, or who have children in daycare.
Thornton also cited the issue of how schools would meet the needs of children whose lower-income families might not be able to afford computers and the internet, should virtual classes resume, as they did from March to June.
“These are some major problems we’re facing here in a very short period of time that we have to be aware of,” he continued.
On the matter of COVID-19 testing, Thornton pointed to a report that Cape Regional Medical Center, over the past weekend, had done 500 tests for the virus, and 300 of those were for out-of-county residents.
“The burden is getting greater and greater here,” Thornton said. “There’s no funding coming from the state, and I brought this up several times. I know we got some funding, but it certainly wasn’t adequate (about $57,000) for the Health Department,” he said.
“We can’t control all the variables, but we have to be ready to respond quickly,” he added.
COVID-19 Travel Advisory
The following is from the governor’s COVID-19 website:
Under the 14-day quarantine travel advisory announced by the governors of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, individuals traveling to, or returning to, New Jersey from states with increasing rates of COVID-19 are advised to self-quarantine for 14 days. This includes travel by train, bus, car, plane, and any other method of transportation.
The travel advisory applies to certain states identified as having 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 (“impacted states”).
As of July 21, there are 31 states that meet the criteria stated above:
* Alabama (added June 24)
* Alaska (added July 21)
* Arkansas (added June 24)
* Arizona (added June 24)
* California (added June 30)
* Delaware (re-added July 21)
* Florida (added June 24)
* Georgia (added June 30)
* Iowa (added June 30)
* Idaho (added June 30)
* Indiana (added July 21)
* Kansas (added July 7)
* Louisiana (added June 30)
* Maryland (added July 21)
* Mississippi (added June 30)
* Missouri (added July 21)
* Montana (added July 21)
* Nebraska (added July 21)
* Nevada (added June 30)
* New Mexico (added July 14)
* North Carolina (added June 24)
* North Dakota (added July 21)
* Ohio (added July 14)
* Oklahoma (added July 7)
* South Carolina (added June 24)
* Tennessee (added June 30)
* Texas (added June 24)
* Utah (added June 24)
* Virginia (added July 21)
* Washington (added July 21)
* Wisconsin (added July 14)
Minnesota was removed from the list July 21.
The list will be updated regularly.
Travelers and residents returning from impacted states should self-quarantine at their home, a hotel, or other temporary lodgings. Individuals should only leave the place of self-quarantine to seek medical care/treatment or to obtain food and other essential items. As one example, no one who has traveled to, or from, a state on the COVID-19 hotspot list should be participating in or attending an in-person graduation ceremony.