TRENTON, NJ – New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said if you are attending college out of state, don’t count on being one of the 10 people invited to Thanksgiving dinner. That’s because the governor and New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judith Persichili said you need to quarantine for 14 days…away from your family.
“College students will be traveling home over the next week on Thanksgiving break,” Persichili said. “While it is exciting for both students and their families to reunite, we need everyone to work together to lower the risk of spreading the virus to one another. Students hopefully should be quarantining for 14 days before going home. If they haven’t completed the 14-day quarantine, they can continue that quarantine period at home, but they must remain separate from their family. As much as possible, they should avoid contact with their family, they should wear a mask and maintain a distance of at least six feet.”
Students who have family members that fall into a high-risk category, which includes those over 60 years of age, and those with chronic health conditions, should quarantine perhaps away from that home at another household or location with no high-risk members.
“We are all urging colleges and universities to make COVID testing available to all residential students before they leave for the Thanksgiving break,” Persichili added. “Students should consider getting tested before leaving the campus and then five to seven days after any potentially high-risk activity, such as a party or social gathering. And remember that small gatherings are contributing to the rise in cases. Even if a returning student tests negative, they should plan to quarantine for a 14-day period, as symptoms can occur any time during that time period.”
If a returning student tests positive, they should isolate themselves from others for at least 10 days and be clear of symptoms for at least 24 hours. Anyone with symptoms or a positive test actually should avoid traveling home if possible.
