TRENTON (1010 WINS) -- Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday that all U.S. travelers entering the state from outside the immediate region should self-quarantine for 14 days as coronavirus cases "continue to rise at an alarming rate throughout our nation."
"New Jersey will no longer utilize previously outlined metrics to inform its travel advisory," the governor said in a statement, citing the "increased risk of spreading COVID-19 for both residents who travel outside the state and for visitors into the state."
"Travelers and residents returning from any U.S. state or territory beyond the immediate region should self-quarantine at their home, hotel or other temporary lodging for the CDC recommended period, which is currently 14 days," Murphy said.
The immediate region includes New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
The updated travel guidance comes as millions of people are expected to travel throughout the U.S. for the Thanksgiving holiday.
New Jersey previously only focused its travel advisory on U.S. states or territories that had an average daily number of new cases higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period or had a 10% or higher positivity rate over a seven-day period.
Murphy said New Jersey "continues to strongly discourage all non-essential interstate travel at this time."
The governor said the state Department of Health will issue additional information about travel precautions in the coming days but that travelers should "continue to abide by the state's current guidance until a new policy is issued."
A day after Murphy said New Jersey was "in the thick of it right now," the state reported 4,073 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing its total to 317,905.
The largest number of cases, 432, were reported in Passaic County. Another 387 were reported in Bergen County and 366 in Essex County.
There were also 50 more deaths—the largest number of daily deaths in the state in four months.
The state's death toll is now 15,057, not including 1,829 probable deaths.
Hospitalizations statewide rose from 2,785 on Tuesday to 2,902 on Wednesday. There were 545 patients in intensive care and 281 on ventilators.
