- Officials in the New York tri-state region, once the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, announced plans Wednesday to enforce a 14-day quarantine on travelers from so-called hot spots.
- As new cases have dropped in the Northeast, the virus has spread to new communities mostly across the American South and West, sparking outbreaks that appear to be expanding.
- Here's a look at how the coronavirus outbreaks are evolving in the eight states currently affected by the tri-state region's travel order.
VIDEO3:1303:13New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to quarantine travelers from hotspotsSquawk Alley
As coronavirus outbreaks surge in several states across the country, public officials in the New York tri-state region — once the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak — are now imposing a 14-day quarantine on travelers coming from several hot spots in the U.S.
The virus hit the tri-state region hard in March and April, when New York state was reporting around 10,000 new cases every day. At the peak of the outbreak in the northeast, Florida, Texas and other states issued mandatory quarantine orders for anyone traveling from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in an attempt to prevent outbreaks in their states.
But after suffering through a severe economic shutdown and ramping up testing and contact tracing to isolate new outbreaks, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have driven down new cases to a few hundred per day. As new cases have dropped in the Northeast, the virus has spread across new communities mostly across the American South and West, sparking fresh outbreaks that appear to be picking up speed.
"We worked very hard to get the viral transmission rate down," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. "We don't want to see it go up because a lot of people come into this region and they can literally bring the infection with them."
The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut said they have issued the mandatory quarantine orders for these eight states specifically because they have an average of more than 10 positive tests per 100,000 residents over the past seven days or because an average of more than 10% of all tests have come back positive over the past seven days.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will continue to update the list of states the order affects on their respective websites, Cuomo's office said.
Here's a look at how the coronavirus outbreaks are evolving in the eight states currently subject to the tri-state region's travel order.
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Alabama
Alabama Public Health reported 954 new cases on Wednesday alone, about 19.5 new cases per 100,000 residents, marking the state's third highest single-day increase in cases. The state has averaged more than 597 new cases per day over the past seven days, down more than 23% compared with the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
As of Wednesday, the state confirmed 31,624 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 644 cases per 100,000 residents, based on Covid-19 data from the state and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The virus has killed at least 879 people in Alabama and put 2,567 people across the state in the hospital so far.
While testing has increased across Alabama, the percent of tests coming back positive has risen to 10.9% between June 14 and June 20, according to the most recent data reported by the state. That figure has drifted up from 8.2% reported in the beginning of May.
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Alabama was among the states to ease restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus comparatively early. Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, allowed the statewide stay-at-home order to expire on April 30, allowing retail stores to reopen with restrictions. Restaurants, salons and gyms were allowed to reopen with new safety rules on May 11 and entertainment venues were allowed to reopen on May 22.
"Threat of COVID-19 is not over," the governor said when in announcing he would allow the stay-at-home order to expire. "We are still seeing the virus spread and all of our people are susceptible to the infection."
Arkansas
The Arkansas Department of Health reported 709 new cases since Tuesday, about 23.5 new cases per 100,00 residents. The state has averaged more than 498 new cases per day over the past seven days, up just 12.1% compared with the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state has reported a total of 17,375 confirmed coronavirus cases across the state, more than 575 cases per 100,000 residents, based on Covid-19 data from the state and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The virus has killed at least 237 people across the state and hospitalized 1,214 people since it took hold in Arkansas.
The percent of total tests coming back positive stands at 6%, according to the state, which is just above the World Health Organization's recommended threshold of less than 5% before moving further into reopening.
Arkansas is among the few states that never issued a statewide stay-at-home order. However, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, did order some businesses, including bars, restaurants and gyms to close. Hutchinson allowed gyms and indoor athletic facilities to reopen with modifications on May 4, followed by restaurants on May 11.
Hutchinson previously said he opposes requiring people to wear masks, but amid the surge in cases, some local and city officials have moved to mandate masks when in contact with others.
Arizona
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported 1,795 new cases Wednesday, about 24.6 new cases per 100,000 residents. The state has averaged more than 2,741 new cases per day over the past seven days, up more than 76% compared with the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state has reported 59,974 confirmed cases since the outbreak started, or more than 823 confirmed cases per 100,000 residents across the state, based on Covid-19 data from the state and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The virus has now killed at least 1,463 people in Arizona, according to the state's data.
The number of people in hospitals across the state jumped Wednesday to a record high of 6,705. Statewide, 86% of hospital beds are now in use and 88% of all ICU beds are occupied, according to data from the Arizona Department of Health Services.
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Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has been hesitant to implement new restrictions or to rollback the reopening of businesses in order to curb the spread of the virus. It wasn't until last week and under pressure from officials in some of the state's largest cities that Ducey adjusted the statewide mask policy to allow local officials to require that residents wear masks in public and in businesses.
In making the announcement, the governor also acknowledged that the virus is spreading more quickly than is acceptable. He had previously said that officials expected cases to rise after the state eased restrictions and reopened businesses on May 15.
"We want to slow and contain the spread," he said one week ago. "We have successfully slowed the spread of Covid-19 in the past. We're going to successfully slow Covid-19 again."
Florida
The Florida Department of Health reported 5,508 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, shattering the previous record single-day increase of 4,049 new cases reported on Saturday. Wednesday's jump represents about 25.6 new cases per 100,000 residents.
The state has averaged 3,342 new cases per day over the past seven days, up more than 65% compared with the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The latest spike brings the state total to 109,014 confirmed cases over the course of the outbreak, or more than 507 cases per 100,000 residents, based on Covid-19 data from the state and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The virus has killed at least 3,281 people in Florida, according to the state's data.
In addition to rising cases, the percentage of tests coming back positive is also on the rise, indicating that the surge in confirmed cases is not due solely to ramped-up testing. The state reported that 15.9% of all tests came back positive Wednesday, up from 10.8% on Tuesday.
While new cases continue to increase across Florida, the average age of an infected person has continued to decline. On Wednesday, the state reported that the average age of patients was 33 years old, down from over 65 years old in March.
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Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has pointed to the decreasing average age of patients as evidence that the state is effectively protecting its most vulnerable residents. Younger people are less likely to become severely sick and die from Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, White House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Tuesday that scientists are seeing "more and more" complications with Covid-19 in young people.
Florida was among the first states to reopen, with DeSantis allowing most restaurants and stores to open with limited capacity on May 4. The heavily populated Miami-Dade and Broward counties did not reopen until May 18. On June 5, most of the state moved deeper into reopening, allowing more stores to operate, some at full capacity. Gyms also reopened.
Last week, after the state reported a previous record single-day increase in infections, DeSantis said the state would not reimplement more restrictions to curb the spread of the virus.
"We're not shutting down. We're going to go forward … We're not rolling back," the governor said at a news briefing last week. "You have to have society function."
North Carolina
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,721 new cases Wednesday, nearly 16.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. The state has averaged more than 1,247 new cases per day over the past seven days, up just 0.6% compared with the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state has reported a total of 56,174 cases, more than 535 cases per 100,000 residents, based on Covid-19 data from the state and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The virus has now killed at least 1,271 people in North Carolina, according to the state's data.
As cases have risen, so have hospitalizations. The state says 906 people are currently hospitalized across the North Carolina due to Covid-19, up from 650 on June 1.
Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, left the stay-at-home order in place until May 22, but began amending it earlier to ease restrictions while he also allowed more businesses to reopen. Stores were allowed to reopen with some modifications on May 8, and other businesses, including restaurants, were allowed to reopen when the stay-at-home order expired on May 22.
In lieu of a statewide mandate, some local and city officials around the state have begun to require that residents wear masks when in contact with others.
South Carolina
South Carolina reported 890 new cases across the state on Tuesday, the most recent data available, about 17.3 new cases per 100,000 residents. The state has averaged more than 940 new cases per day over the past seven days, up over 38% compared with the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state has reported 26,613 total coronavirus cases, or about 517 cases per 100,000 residents in the state, according to Covid-19 data from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The state has ramped up the number of diagnostic tests it's conducting, but the percent of tests coming back positive remains high, 17.4% as of Tuesday, according to the state. That indicates that the surge in new cases is not solely driven by increased testing and that the virus is spreading widely.
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Last week, as cases were steadily ticking upward, state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell pleaded with the public to practice social distancing and wear masks.
"There is no vaccine for COVID-19. There are only individual behaviors and actions we must all maintain that help stop its spread," she said. "This virus does not spread on its own. It's spread around our state by infected people who carry it wherever they go – their work, the supermarket, the post office, a friend's house."
Republican Gov. Henry McMaster was among the last to implement a stay-at-home order and one of the first to end it on May 4. But he began to allow some businesses to reopen with restrictions even earlier, on April 20.
Utah
The Utah Department of Health reported 364 new cases on Monday, according to the most recent data available, which is about 11.35 new cases per 100,000 residents. The state has averaged more than 480 new cases per day over the past seven days, up more than 41% compared to the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The state has reported 18,300 total confirmed cases of the cornavirus, about 570 confirmed infections per 100,000 residents, according to Covid-19 data from the state and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. At least 163 people have died due to Covid-19 in Utah as of Monday, according to the state.
The virus is spreading most rapidly in southeastern San Juan County, according to the state's data.
Utah was one of the few states that never issued a statewide stay-at-home order. However, on March 17, Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, ordered restaurants and bars to pause dine-in service. He later ordered other businesses, including gyms and hair salons, to close as well.
Texas
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services reported a record spike of 5,551 new cases on Wednesday, about 19.1 new cases per 100,000 residents. The state has averaged more than 4,194 new cases per day over the past seven days, a jump of 91% compared to the 7-day average a week ago, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Texas has reported a total of 120,370 cases, roughly 415 cases per 100,000 residents, according to Covid-19 data from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The virus has killed at least 2,249 people in Texas, according to the state's data.
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Hospitalizations in Texas are on the rise, too, with the state reporting that 4,389 Covid-19 patients are currently in hospitals statewide. That's up from 2,518 a week ago, according to state data.
In an interview Tuesday with TV station KBTX in San Antonio, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott urged residents to wear a mask and practice social distancing to prevent infection.
"The hospitalization rate is at an all-time high. Coronavirus is spreading in Brazos County and across the entire state of Texas, which is exactly why action is being taken," he said. "The safest place for you is at your home."
Texas was another state among the first to reopen. Abbott allowed the stay-at-home order to end on April 30 and by May 1, all stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls were allowed to reopen with modifications.
— Graphics by CNBC's Nate Rattner.
Update: This story was updated to reflect that Cuomo's office later revised its list of affected states, removing Washington state. "There was a temporary discrepancy with Washington State's reporting, however, they have since corrected it and we have removed them from the list of states under travel advisory," Caitlin Girouard, Cuomo's press secretary, told CNBC.
Source: cnbc.com
