COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio remains on the Ohio Department of Health’s COVID-19 Travel Advisory Map for a second week in a row. Fifteen other states are on the travel advisory, as Ohio health officials caution against traveling to 30 percent of the states in the U.S.
We noted the absurdity of Ohio adding itself to its own travel advisory map last week. As did comedian Stephen Colbert. Any state with a positivity rate above 15% is put on the map, and the ODH recommends against travel to those states with high positivity.
The 15 other states in the travel advisory and their average positive rates are:
South Dakota— 52%
Idaho—50.4%
Kansas—43.1%
Iowa—39%
Pennsylvania—36%
Alabama—34%
Arizona—30.1%
Mississippi—24%
Utah—20%
Tennessee—19%
Missouri—18.1%
Nevada—17%
Montana—17.1%
Arkansas—16.3%
Oklahoma—16%
The ODH said because of the resolution of the antigen backlog on Dec. 8 in Ohio, this method is showing a temporarily inflated positivity rate. The ODH said for this week, it's using the positive rate from its own dashboard instead of the Johns Hopkins methodology for Ohio.
Washington, Oregon and Wyoming are shaded gray because the ODH said they continue to report irregularities of the total tests performed, so accurate positivity rates can't be calculated.
The advisory and self-quarantine recommendations are intended for both leisure and business travel and should be heeded by both Ohioans and out-of-state travelers, the ODH stated. It is guidance and not a legal mandate.
For more information on the state's travel advisory, click here.
RELATED: Ohio Department of Health now recommending those in Ohio avoid traveling to Ohio
