Travel advisory issued: Individuals traveling to Ohio from 9 states urged to self-quarantine for 14 days

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Gov. Mike DeWine is urging individuals traveling to Ohio from several states with high COVID-19 infection rates to self-quarantine for two weeks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The advisory applies to residents of Ohio returning to the state from one of the listed areas, as well as to visitors of Ohio.

If you’re traveling from one of these yellow states, you should self-quarantine at home or in a hotel. This applies to those who live in Ohio and those traveling here from these states, whether they are traveling for businesses or vacationing. pic.twitter.com/M4A8khBniX
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 22, 2020

States with a positivity rate over 15% are included in the advisory. Puerto Rico is also included in the advisory.

An individual who does come from one of the nine states or from the territory of Puerto Rico are asked to self-quarantine. They are not required to do so.

RELATED: Governors of 3 states advise travelers to quarantine for 14 days if visiting from Ohio

The advisory stems from a recent incident that originated in Belmont County when a group of students traveled to the COVID-19 “hot spot” of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A few weeks ago, we talked about a group of 45 students who traveled to Myrtle Beach together from Belmont County. 16 people initially tested positive for #COVID19. Today, we know that 28 travelers have tested positive.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 22, 2020

“We have heard from multiple local health departments that they are tracing cases related to out-of-state travel,” the governor said during Wednesday’s briefing from Columbus. “Trips to states where there are high positivity rates, such as South Carolina and Florida, are leading to outbreaks here in Ohio.”

Gov. DeWine said the map will be updated regularly.