U.S.A. / SPORTS
Page 8 n THE ASIAN REPORTER
August 3, 2020
Road trip? Quarantines mess with travel plans
By David Sharp
The Associated Press
ORTLAND, Maine — Families trying to squeeze
in a summer vacation before school starts better
do some homework on COVID-19 restrictions
before loading up the minivan.
The web of state and local quarantines in the east is
growing more tangled by the day: New York, New Jersey,
and Connecticut have ordered visitors from a whopping 34
states to quarantine for 14 days. Chicago and
Washington, D.C., have each singled out travellers from
about two dozen states. Other states have their own lists.
Some have an option for visitors to get tested instead.
“Complicated doesn’t begin to describe it. I feel sorry for
people. They just want to go to Cape Cod. They want to go
to Vermont. I don’t know what to tell them. People are
pretty much left on their own to figure out,” said Kathy
Kutrubes, owner of a travel agency in Boston.
The restrictions — and maybe the confusion, too — are
contributing to a sharp drop in travel, dealing a blow to a
key industry.
Before the outbreak, Americans were expected to take
2.3 billion domestic trips this year, according to the U.S.
Travel Association. But that’s expected to drop about 30%
to 1.6 billion, the lowest level since 1991. Normally nearly
a third of domestic travel happens in the summer.
Abroad, a drop-off in tourism from U.S. visitors and
restrictions on crossing borders have also led many
travel-related businesses to wonder if they will survive.
The coronavirus is blamed for more than 150,000
deaths in the U.S. and more than 680,000 elsewhere
around the world.
When it comes to travel restrictions in the U.S., the
situation varies widely. Many states have no restrictions
whatsoever for domestic travel. But the number of states
with quarantines is growing as governors move to protect
residents amid flareups in places such as Florida, Texas,
and Arizona.
The results are confusing, to say the least.
For example, Maine requires Massachusetts visitors to
either quarantine or take a test, but Mainers may travel
freely in Massachusetts. Chicago’s quarantine order
includes neighboring Wisconsin. But people who cross the
state line for work are exempted.
In Connecticut, Paula Simchock and her husband are
planning to hit the beaches in Delaware with their
daughter en route to dropping her off at college in South
Carolina. But because both of those states are on
Connecticut’s quarantine list, they expect to have to
isolate upon returning home.
“We’re definitely stir crazy. So we’re really looking
forward to getting down to Delaware and enjoying our
favorite restaurants and surf shop. We’re really excited
about it,” Simchock said. “To see that it’s on the
Connecticut hot spot list is disappointing.”
P
MLS IS BACK. Bill Tuiloma (#25) of the Portland Timbers competes
for the ball during Major League Soccer’s MLS is Back Tournament. The
Timbers, which finished atop Group F, won its quarterfinal match against
New York City FC and will now play in a semifinal matchup again the Phil-
adelphia Union on Wednesday, August 5. The championship game is
scheduled for August 11. (Photo/Matthew Stith & Devin L’Amoreaux,
courtesy of Major League Soccer)
MLS is Back Tournament
narrowed down to four clubs
After having its season postponed in mid-March, Major
League Soccer (MLS) kicked off its official restart — the
MLS is Back Tournament — on July 8. Nearly a month
later, the World Cup-style competition will feature its
semifinal round this week and the championship match is
scheduled for August 11.
The tournament featured four teams placed into six
groups. During the tourney, players, club staff, officials,
and other participants have been housed within a
quarantine bubble in Florida.
Action for the Portland Timbers started July 13 as part
of Group F and with a 2-1 win over the L.A. Galaxy. In its
second match on July 18, the squad defeated the Houston
Dynamo, 2-1. In the final group game on July 23, the team
tied Los Angeles FC, 2-2.
The Timbers emerged from its group as the top team.
Seeding into the knockout round led to a July 28 Round of
16 match against FC Cincinnati, which ended in a 1-1
draw. To determine which squad would advance to the
next round, a penalty-kick shootout was held, with the
Timbers prevailing 4-2. In the August 1 quarterfinal
match against New York City FC, the Timbers won 3-1.
The first semifinal game, scheduled for Wednesday,
August 5 at 5:00pm, features the Timbers and the
Philadelphia Union. The winner of that match will meet
the victor of the Thursday semifinal between Minnesota
United and Orlando City.
To learn more, visit <www.portlandtimbers.com>.
I-205 Toll Project
Tolls on I-205 would
raise revenue for improved
travel and reliability.
6 8
Learn more!
Visit the online open house
or attend a webinar in August.

For printed materials,
call 503-837-3536, TTY 800-735-2900
or ORS 711
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Have your say!
Comment by Sept. 16, 2020
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level: Hard
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#68755
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that the digits 1
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Solution to
last issue’s
puzzle
Puzzle #85448 (Medium)
All solutions available at
<www.sudoku.com>.
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QUARANTINE COMPLICATIONS. People wear face coverings
while walking on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk during the coronavirus
outbreak in Santa Cruz, California. Californians are being wooed by local
tourism boards promising safe and clean lodging, dining, and sightseeing
in a bid to boost the state’s devastated economy. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The U.S. Travel Association believes that with proper
precautions — masks, handwashing, and proper
sanitation — people can travel safely.
More than a third of jobs lost during the pandemic are in
the travel and tourism industry, said Tori Emerson
Barnes, spokeswoman for the association.
“Really and truly, the only way that we can have a
sustained economic rebound is to have people moving
again,” she said.
Mike Stumpf and his wife, who live outside
Philadelphia, were supposed to take a cruise in Alaska in
June. Then a trip to Colorado was cancelled. A fall cruise
to Europe has been delayed, and they bagged their annual
trip to Florida.
Between different state regulations and health
concerns, there’s just too much uncertainty, he said. “We
won’t because it’s not worth the risk and every state has
different regulations,” he said.
Others don’t want to risk it, either.
In New York, Lyndie Callan had to cancel her 60th
birthday celebration in Spain this summer because of the
country’s restrictions on U.S. visitors. But even without
the restriction, she wouldn’t have felt comfortable
travelling.
“There’s only one way to get this virus under control and
that’s to behave responsibly. It starts with me,” Callan
said. “I don’t see that my vacation plans are all that
important. I’ll go on vacation next year.”
Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.