New COVID-19 travel advisory in California: Stay within 120 miles of home

The California Department of Public Health issued a revised Travel Advisory on Tuesday, January 6, 2021, one that supersedes the previous order issued in November and one meant to curb the spread of COVID-19. This new advisory affects all counties in California, whether they are under a Regional Stay Home Order or not.

The updated travel advisory

To prevent further spread of COVID-19 and help contain any new sources of infection, Californians should stay within 120 miles from their home or other place of residence, unless they are traveling for essential purposes. Essential travel includes: work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

Traveling into California from other states or countries for tourism or recreation is also strongly discouraged, and anyone traveling into California should self-quarantine for 10 days, unless quarantining is impracticable and the travel is for the sole purpose of meeting critical healthcare needs or other emergency response.

A Local Health Officer may determine if and when the situation within the Local Health Officer's jurisdiction warrants measures that are more restrictive than this statewide order, and retains authority to implement such measures.

Californians should not travel more than 120 miles from their home for non-essential purposes such as pleasure or recreation. If you do travel, take steps to keep everyone safe like wearing a face covering, keeping 6 feet of physical distance from those not in your household, and washing your hands frequently.

From the State of California

Travel increases your risk of getting COVID-19 and infecting others. For this reason, the California Department of Public Health asks that you limit your travel during the pandemic.

When you travel, you spend more time outside your home and come into contact with people outside your household. You are near new people in airports, train stations, gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, short-term rentals, sightseeing attractions, and retail stores. These new people may be exposing you to COVID-19, or you may be unknowingly exposing them. People arriving in California from other states or Californians returning from other states or countries could also introduce new sources of infection (potentially including new strains of the coronavirus) to California. This contributes to community spread of the disease, which leads to more illness and death.

Hospitals in our state are critically low in available ICU beds, so it’s important that we do all we can to take fewer risks and not spread COVID-19.

Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

What’s considered essential travel
Some travel is considered essential and necessary. “Essential travel” is travel associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or otherwise required or expressly authorized by law (including other applicable state and local public health directives), including:

Critical infrastructure (like the water supply or power grid)
Economic services (like banking)
Supply chains (like food distribution)
Health care and immediate medical care
Safety and security
Work and study

Current travel recommendations
Californians should remain local (not traveling more than 120 miles from their home or other place of residence) and avoid non-essential travel. Travelers from other states or countries entering into California for tourism and recreation are strongly discouraged.

Currently, California restricts the following in counties under the Regional Stay at Home Order (including El Dorado, Placer and Alpine counties):

Hotels and short-term rentals (including any reservations made through third-party venues and platforms)
May accept reservations if the traveler is using the lodging in connection with COVID-19 mitigation, containment, and treatment measures, as accommodation for essential workers or those displaced by fire or other emergency, or for individuals or families who have no other primary residence (including individuals who would otherwise experience homelessness).

While Airbnb assisted to keep travelers out of the Lake Tahoe and Truckee area over New Years Eve (no new reservations accepted), they have issued a notice of the extension of the Stay-at-Home orders to the owners for their information… At this time it is unknown if any further restrictions will be adopted.

Campgrounds
Closed except for use in connection with COVID-19 mitigation, containment, and treatment measures, as accommodation for essential workers or those displaced by fire or other emergency, or for individuals or families who have no other primary residence (including individuals who would otherwise experience homelessness).

For more on the new California order, visit https://covid19.ca.gov/travel/