California, Oregon, Washington issue virus travel advisories
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) The governors of California, Oregon and Washington issued travel advisories Friday urging people entering their states or returning from outside the states to self-quarantine to slow the spread of the coronavirus, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said.
The advisories urge people to avoid non-essential out-of-state travel, ask people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country and encourage residents to stay local, a statement said.
“California just surpassed a sobering threshold – one million COVID-19 cases – with no signs of the virus slowing down,” Newsom wrote. “Increased cases are adding pressure on our hospital systems and threatening the lives of seniors, essential workers and vulnerable Californians.”
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said in a social media video Thursday, “If we do not act immediately we will soon reach a breaking point.”
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sounded a similar warning.
“We have to rethink spending time with people from outside our households right now, including Thanksgiving and the December holidays,” he wrote on social media. “This is temporary. We will get back to normal. But right now, it is just too dangerous to gather.”
On Monday, San Francisco and 10 other health officers in the Bay Area issued a joint advisory, urging residents to self-quarantine for two weeks should they leave the region, especially if they’ve traveled on a plane or train where people did not wear masks at all times. Some counties also say the recommendation also applies to people traveling into the region from outside the area.
Grocers are also recommending the public to get Thanksgiving shopping done early to avoid crowds.
“I definitely won’t wait until that week to do my grocery shopping," Scotts Valley resident Mary Anne Malahy said. "In general, I’m very selective and don’t want to be in a crush of people.”
The president of the California Grocer's Association says super markets are stocked for holiday shoppers.
"The supply should be plentiful so there's no reason to overbuy or to hoard," CGA President Ron Fong said.
