D.C. no longer considers Delaware a “high risk” state. Vehicles are parked at Rehoboth Beach, Del., in this July file photo.

Julio Cortez / AP Photo

D.C. has added five states to its list of “high-risk states” and removed three, bringing the total number of states with travel restrictions to 29. Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Minnesota were added to the existing list, and Delaware, Ohio and Washington state were removed.

People who come into Washington from any of those states are required to self-quarantine for 14 days from their arrival in the District, per an executive order from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. The list is updated every two weeks.

Noticeably absent from the new list is Delaware, a popular summer destination for Washingtonians. Business owners in the state’s beach towns say they noticed a decline in visitors after D.C. and other mid-Atlantic states first put travel restrictions in place last month.

The mayor of Dewey Beach, Dale Cooke, told Fox5 in late July that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had “made a mistake” by including Delaware on its list. “It’s going to hurt Dewey Beach a lot and I’m sorry that to hear that she decided to do that,” Cooke said.

The District’s health department makes its decision based on the number of daily new COVID-19 cases. If that number is 10 or more per 100,000 persons, the state is considered high risk. People who are self-quarantining must stay in their homes or hotel rooms; they can leave only for food or medical appointments, and cannot see guests.

The travel restrictions only apply to nonessential travel. People who are entering the District due to essential travel must only self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for two weeks and seek medical attention if they notice symptoms.

There are no restrictions on travel to and from Maryland and Virginia.

The current full list of high-risk states includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.

Mayor Bowser issued the order after an increase in cases across the region. She also issued an order mandating mask-wearing anytime people leave their homes.

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