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Gov. Baker clarifies which trips to Rhode Island are exempt from COVID-19 travel order

Gov. Baker clarifies which trips to Rhode Island are exempt from COVID-19 travel order
ATTLEBORO TO EXPLAIN. SERA: WE ARE JUST STEPS FROM TH RHODE ISLAND BORDER, AND THIS AFTERNOON, GOVERNOR BAKER CLARIFIED THAT THE TRAVEL ORDER DOES NOT APPLY TO GROCERY SHOPPING. THAT IS GOOD NEWS FOR SOME OF OUR RHODE ISLAND NEIGHBORS. THAT TRAVEL ORDER DOES REQUIRE THAT ANYONE COMING FROM RHODE ISLAND AND INTO MASSACHUSETTS MUST QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS, O SHOW PROOF OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST. THE OCEAN STATE HAS LOST ITS LOW RISK EXEMPTION FROM THE ORDER BECAUSE OF A RECENT INCREASE IN CASE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE ALONG THE BORDER SAY IT MAY BE TOUGH TO FOLLOW >> I UNDERSTAND THE NEED, BUT IT IS AN INCONVENIENC PEOPLE ARE SO USED TO JUST BEING IN AND OUT OF RHODE ISLAND AND MASSACHUSETTS, ESPECIALLY AROUND HERE. SERA: THERE ARE NO CHECKPOINTS ALONG THE BORDER, SO THE ORDER MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE. IT MAY JUST BE THE HONOR SYSTEM. THERE IS A FINE OF $500 A DAY FOR NOT BEING IN QUARANTINE, O FO NOT FILLING OUT AN ONLINE FORM. THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS INCLUDI ANYONE WHO WORKS IN MASSACHUSETTS, GOE
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Gov. Baker clarifies which trips to Rhode Island are exempt from COVID-19 travel order
With a new travel order targeting Rhode Island now in effect, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday clarified some of the exceptions to the rule. Rhode Island was removed Tuesday from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's list of states at "lower risk" for COVID-19 transmission, making it the only neighboring state subject to Gov. Charlie Baker's new travel order.DPH said the decision was made "due to increases in both RI’s positive test rate and cases per 100,000."As a result, starting Friday visitors arriving from Rhode Island must fill out a form, quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test. DPH officials said an exemption applies for regular commuters, and Baker clarified that other essential everyday activities were also exempt. "There are exemptions for transitory activities — grocery shopping, banking," Baker said Friday.Baker also said, "Go to the store, do your shopping, wear a face mask, keep 6 feet apart from people and go home."Violations of the order are enforceable with a $500 per day fine for noncompliance. Also this week, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey added Rhode Island to their list of states included on a travel advisory.The three states said anyone entering from Rhode Island should quarantine for 14 days.The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Rhode Island has risen over the past two weeks from 62.43 new cases per day on July 23 to 94.43 new cases per day on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Rhode Island has risen over the past two weeks from 3.66% on July 23 to 5.9% on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins.

With a new travel order targeting Rhode Island now in effect, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Friday clarified some of the exceptions to the rule.

Rhode Island was removed Tuesday from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health's list of states at "lower risk" for COVID-19 transmission, making it the only neighboring state subject to Gov. Charlie Baker's new travel order.

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DPH said the decision was made "due to increases in both RI’s positive test rate and cases per 100,000."

As a result, starting Friday visitors arriving from Rhode Island must fill out a form, quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test. DPH officials said an exemption applies for regular commuters, and Baker clarified that other essential everyday activities were also exempt.

"There are exemptions for transitory activities — grocery shopping, banking," Baker said Friday.

Baker also said, "Go to the store, do your shopping, wear a face mask, keep 6 feet apart from people and go home."

Violations of the order are enforceable with a $500 per day fine for noncompliance.

Map indicating lower-risk states according to Massachusetts travel order
MassDPH
Map indicating lower-risk states according to Massachusetts travel order

Also this week, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey added Rhode Island to their list of states included on a travel advisory.

The three states said anyone entering from Rhode Island should quarantine for 14 days.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Rhode Island has risen over the past two weeks from 62.43 new cases per day on July 23 to 94.43 new cases per day on Thursday, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Rhode Island has risen over the past two weeks from 3.66% on July 23 to 5.9% on Thursday, according to Johns Hopkins.