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Reopening New Jersey: Officials link COVID-19 spike to Myrtle Beach wedding

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Local coronavirus cases linked to travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

NEW JERSEY -- New Jersey officials suspect a wedding in South Carolina may be to blame for an uptick in coronavirus cases in the state.

Myrtle Beach s a popular beach destination and is usually crowded with vacationers during this time of year.

Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damsker said 50 of the 103 recent new cases in the Pennsylvania town are people who traveled out-of-state, many returning from Myrtle Beach.

"Think twice before you leave for any area of the country that is currently experiencing a high prevalence of COVID-19," Damsker said.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the state is also seeing a "small spike," mostly in part due to people coming back with the virus after attending a wedding in Myrtle Beach.

"We need to be smarter and we need to work harder. Our 14-day self-quarantine advisory for those who have come from a known coronavirus hotspot is there for a reason, to prevent flare-ups like the ones we are now seeing," Murphy said.

Governor Phil Murphy said on Monday there is a troubling sign in the battle against COVID-19 in New Jersey: transmission rates are going up.

The 19 states currently included in the New Jersey's travel advisory include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Local leaders say if you must go to any states listed on the travel advisory, wear a mask, sanitize your hands frequently, avoid bars and other similar gatherings of people.

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