Pennsylvania, like Philly & NJ, issues 14-day quarantine for states with high COVID-19 cases

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Friday, July 3, 2020
Pennsylvania issues 14-day quarantine for some states
Pennsylvania joins Philadelphia and New Jersey in issuing the quarantine order.

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- In an effort to slow the spread, Pennsylvania has joined New Jersey and Philadelphia in issuing a travel advisory.

After a positive, downward trend in Pennsylvania, COVID-19 cases are now going in the other direction. Cases started to climb again in late June.

On Thursday, the health department reported 832 new cases, the highest daily case count since late May.

Governor Tom Wolf and the state health department are urging residents to do their part to "flatten the curve" a second time.

Officials said if you have traveled, or plan to travel, to an area where there are high amounts of COVID-19 cases, it is recommended that you stay at home for 14 days upon return to Pennsylvania. If you travel to the following states, you will need to quarantine for 14 days upon return:

- Alabama

- Arizona

- Arkansas

- California

- Florida

- Georgia

- Idaho

- Louisiana

- Mississippi

- Nevada

- North Carolina

- South Carolina

- Tennessee

- Texas

- Utah

The rising number of COVID-19 infections in the Pittsburgh area helped drive Pennsylvania's number of confirmed new cases to 667, the state Health Department said Friday.

Pennsylvania's death toll from the coronavirus pandemic rose by 34 to more than 6,700 since the infection began to spread in the state earlier this year. There have been nearly 89,000 people diagnosed with the disease in the state so far.

The number of cases in Allegheny County, which encompasses Pittsburgh, rose by 166, the department said. Allegheny County put the increase in confirmed cases at 177 on Friday.

In response to a spike in cases there, the county's Health Department closed bars and restaurants for a week, starting Friday, although they can still provide take-out and delivery.

Allegheny County also ordered the casino there to close and banned gatherings of more than 25 people for the next week, while encouraging residents to stay at home to help stem the spread.

Health officials in Philadelphia and Allegheny County have said they've noticed that many of those recently infected have been socializing in bars or traveling to beach vacations or coronavirus hot spots in other parts of the country.

A newly expanded mask-wearing order also requires mask-wearing in any public space, not just in businesses.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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