California on Thursday lifted the statewide advisory that asked leisure travelers to stay within 120 miles of home to curb the spread of COVID-19, according to a news release. However, the California Department of Public Health still discourages travelers from leaving the state or the country “until we can achieve higher levels of vaccination in California and beyond.”
New recommendations for nonessential, or leisure, travel include taking a COVID-19 test before and after you travel, even if you have been vaccinated, and self-quarantining for seven days, even if your test is negative. “Delay travel and stay home to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, even if you are vaccinated,” Centers for Disease Control guidelines say.
Testing should take place one to three days before you leave, and three to five days after you return. If you don’t get tested, you should stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days when you return. Of course, travelers should wear masks, wash their hands frequently and continue to social distance from others. Essential workers who come in and out of the state don’t need to quarantine.
The statement also discourages people from other states and countries from visiting California because they risk transmitting the virus or may introduce new virus strains. The updated recommendations replace a more stringent Jan. 6 travel advisory.
The guidance comes as Los Angeles and Orange counties have met requirements to move into the state’s orange tier for reopening, meaning many businesses may reopen or increase capacity levels if they’re already open. Orange tier guidelines may begin in L.A. County as soon as April 5.
California reports 3,648,217 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Thursday, and almost 59,000 deaths. Also, as of Thursday, about 30% of Californians are at least partially vaccinated. The number of cases and hospitalizations continues to decrease, though health officials warn some parts of the U.S. may have a “spring surge.”