coronavirus

Vermont Added to Mass. Travel Order: Here's What to Know

Hawaii is the only remaining state that Massachusetts considers low-enough risk for quarantine-free travel

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Massachusetts is now requiring people arriving in the state from Vermont to quarantine for two weeks.

The Department of Public Health announced the addition to the list of high-risk states on Friday as coronavirus cases continue to surge nationwide.

The change went into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28.

To be included on Massachusetts' list of low-risk states for travel, a state must have fewer than 10 average daily cases per 100,000 people and a positive test rate below 5%, both measured as a 7-day rolling average.

On Saturday, the Vermont Health Department reported 29 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19, bringing the state's total since the virus began to just over 4,030.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new confirmed cases in Vermont has risen over the past two weeks from 59 on Nov. 13 to 78 on Nov. 27.

Massachusetts residents are urged to limit any out-of-state travel to states designated as COVID-19 lower-risk states; Hawaii is now the only remaining state that Massachusetts considers low-enough risk for quarantine-free travel.

Travelers from states that aren't on the low-risk list must fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and quarantine for 14 days, according to state guidelines. That includes anyone who's coming from a low-risk state but stayed for more than a transitory period of time in the last 14 days in a higher-risk state.

State guidelines say travelers do not need to quarantine for 14 days if they took a test for COVID-19 and have already received a negative result. The test must have been taken no longer than 72 hours before someone's arrival in Massachusetts, and it must be by a method approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

There are some exemptions, however, including for people who regularly commute to a higher-risk state to attend school or work.

Click here to see the full order, including exemptions.

In Vermont, aid is being provided to two industries hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The latest update to the state's travel order came as millions of Americans took to the skies and the highways for Thanksgiving at the risk of pouring gasoline on the coronavirus fire, disregarding increasingly dire warnings that they stay home and limit their holiday gatherings to members of their own household.

Saturday, it was a fairly busy day at Boston Logan Airport with Thanksgiving travelers returning to Massachusetts, despite warnings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to not gather or travel for the holiday.

It’s pretty busy at Logan airport in Boston despite CDC warnings not to gather or travel.

"There’s definitely a health concern and it’s risky but some people just need to get home," traveler Russel Chai said.

Chai says with travel down compared to last year, the positive is that you get more leg space on the plane. Still, many more people are traveling than recommended.

"I think maybe it’s a calculated risk but I try to be very cautious and certainly recommend to everybody to be very cautious," said Cherie Robert who dropped off a traveler Saturday at the Boston airport.

Some travelers at Boston Logan told NBC10 Boston they are choosing to take the risks traveling for pleasure while others say it’s a necessity and should not be done if you want to stay safe.

"I am actually traveling from my employer," Lisa Ferlita said. "If you don’t have to travel then I would recommend that you strongly stay home."

Massachusetts reported nearly 3,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases Saturday, one day after it reported a staggering 4,464 cases in a report that included two days worth of data due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

The 2,914 additional confirmed cases and 40 new deaths reported Saturday mean there have now been 10,441 confirmed deaths and 214,662 cases, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Another 235 deaths are considered probably linked to COVID-19.

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