We’ve had quarantines on people traveling from one state to another, for instance traveling into Alaska or Hawaii or New Yorkers traveling to Florida, Texas, and Rhode Island.
Texas isn’t requiring quarantine of everyone traveling into the state. However a new executive order from the Governor has expanded the quarantine order for airport arrivals and imposed its first quarantine order for drivers as well.
- The requirement of a 14 day quarantine now applies to passengers arriving by air from 5 states: New York, Connecticut; California; Washington State
- It also requires passengers arriving by air from 5 cities to quarantine: New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, and Chicago
- And anyone traveling to Texas by road from Louisiana is subject to quarantine as well.
Commercial traffic, emergency, military, and medical personnel are exempt from the order. Texas state troops will deploy to entry points’ into the state. We’re going to build a metaphorical wall, and hope the CARES Act pays for it.
This is being reported as making it illegal to drive from Louisiana into Texas but that’s not accurate, doing so just comes with a quarantine order.
Driving from Louisiana through other states to Texas comes with no such order, though as in Rhode Island state troopers might start pulling over license plates. Flying into Texas from a state on the quarantine list via a connecting city like Charlotte or Phoenix similarly skirts the new rule.
The Dallas Convention Center is being set up as a makeshift hospital and ‘dangerous felons’ will not be allowed release from prison though it’s not clear how this limits the spread of COVID-19.
You might not like this, but I suspect that 95%+ of other Texans do. And, seriously, people from virus hotspots should not be relocating to non virus hotspots. After all, that’s what “the scientists” say — like at the CDC. This is not mindless paranoia. If the hotspot travellers won’t “do the right thing,” I see nothing wrong with the receiving states using their resources to stop such migration.
@chopsticks I didn’t express an opinion, actually, just noting how remarkable it has become.
The problem is they are not sure just how the contagion is spread. Is it the breath? Or is it the breath touching or depositing on things? Do you want air travel? Do you want groceries? It is just plain panic behavior!
By June 1, there will be thousands of cases in every state. Wash your hands, maintain distance, and stay home. If Texas followed those rules, plain and simple, they would have less cases.
@chopsticks
States aren’t stopping migration. A quarantine is not a travel ban.
@JohnB – you are very conservative w estimate of thousands of cases in every state by June 1. The peak is targeted for April 14 although it varies by state and goes into May for some. I’m expecting 50,000-100,009 deaths and at least a million positive tests by end of April.
Estimate is that 50-60% of people will get the virus. Vast majority will have mild or no symptoms but obviously will kill a lot and overwhelm the healthcare system. Steps bent taking (even stay at home and social distancing let alone domestic travel quarantine requirements) are only delaying the inevitable. Until there is a vaccine everyone is at risk and the only way to get immunity is to have the virus
Once the smallest state in the Union does it everyone follows suit. We burned the Gaspee and that started the American Revolution now we put troopers on 95 to keep the New Yorkers out and Texas is now doing the same.