State officials issue travel advisory as California passes 1 million COVID-19 cases

Shoppers wear masks in Newport Beach on Friday.

By Lilly NguyenStaff Writer

Nov. 13, 2020 5:19 PM PT

As coronavirus infections continue to surge in California, the state issued a travel advisory Friday ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend.

The advisory from the state health department recommends that people coming into the state from other states or countries — including returning California residents — should self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. Such individuals should limit themselves to their immediate households.

State officials said this does not apply to those who cross state or country borders for essential travel, defined as “work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care and safety and security.”

This is in tandem with issuance of travel advisories in Washington and Oregon by state Gov. Jay Inslee and Gov. Kate Brown.

“California just surpassed a sobering threshold — one million COVID-19 cases — with no signs of the virus slowing down,” Newsom said in a statement. “Increased cases are adding pressure on our hospital systems and threatening the lives of seniors, essential workers and vulnerable Californians.”

“Travel increases the risk of spreading COVID-19 and we must all collectively increase our efforts at this time to keep the virus at bay and save lives,” Newsom said.

A driver wears a facial mask while another does not, on the 1800 block of Newport Blvd.

Current state guidelines prohibit large gatherings, but smaller ones of no more than three households, which includes both the host and guests attending, may be held outdoors. Other recommendations suggest limiting gatherings to be two hours or less and for physical distancing and face coverings to be required.

In Orange County, cases have jumped by 598 cases, making the total number of cases 64,058, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. Two deaths were also reported Friday. The total number of deaths in the county is now 1,522.

Area hospitals are reporting that there are currently 244 cases hospitalized with at least 95 of those cases in intensive care units.

An estimated 56,018 have recovered.

Data on Friday shows Orange County still remains in the thresholds for its current tier, which it has been in since Sept. 8. The current adjusted daily case rate per every 100,000 is 5.6 and the health equity quartile positivity rate, which tracks test positivity rates in disadvantaged communities, is 5.5%.

Students wear facial masks on the 1100 block of Irvine Ave. as they walk towards a row of restaurants.

The test positivity rate is 3.3%.

County health officials have shifted their focus to maintaining their place in the current tier to avoid backsliding into the “widespread” purple tier; but to progress, Orange County would need to drop its adjusted daily case rate between 1 and 3.9 new daily cases for every 100,000 and its health equity quartile positivity rate between 2.2 and 5.2%. Its test positivity is already within the threshold.

Here are the latest cumulative coronavirus case counts and COVID-19 deaths for select cities in Orange County: