It is unclear whether out-of-state quarantines help contain the spread of COVID-19, CDC Director Robert Redfield, MD, said during a June 25 media briefing, according to CNBC.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are implementing a mandated self-quarantine for travelers returning from any state where COVID-19 cases pass a certain threshold. As of June 24, nine states met this threshold, most of which are in the South and West.
Many states in the Northeast have significantly reduced transmission rates since March. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo noted the region is a large travel hub and said the quarantines are meant to help maintain this progress.
But Dr. Redfield said the CDC does not have clear evidence of the benefits of mandated self-quarantines.
"We don’t have any evidence-based data to support the public health value of that decision," he said during the media briefing. "The individual states are making their individual decisions."