New rules for travel to the Tri-State region are now in effect.
If you are planning to travel to New York, New Jersey or Connecticut, whether by car, plane or train, you need to know the details of a new travel advisory.
A joint travel advisory issued by the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which went into effect at 12:01am on June 25, 2020, affects incoming travelers to the three states.
Specifically, travelers arriving from a list of “restricted states” (with high rates of Covid-19 infection) must self-quarantine for 14 days from the time of last contact in one of the identified states.
"We've been working with our neighbors in New Jersey and Connecticut throughout this entire pandemic, and we're announcing a joint travel advisory that says people coming in from states with a high infection rate must quarantine for 14 days, said New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in a press conference announcing the initiative. “We've worked very hard to get the viral transmission rate down and we don't want to see it go up again because people are traveling into the state and bringing it with them."
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont joined Governor Cuomo by video feed in making the announcement.
What Travelers Need to Know
Who does the advisory apply to?
The advisory applies to anyone traveling for work or pleasure from a state with a positive test rate that is higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average—or from a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.
Residents of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who return from an area with a high infection rate will also need to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The order does not apply to individuals passing through the three states for less than 24 hours during the course of travel (e.g. at vehicle rest stops, or on layovers at airports or train stations)
The order also specifies a list of exemptions for essential workers.
Which states are currently included on the list of restricted states?
Eight states are currently included on the list of restricted states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Texas.
Washington State was initially included on the list but was removed after data was rechecked. Other states may be added as circumstances warrant.
The list of restricted states will be updated regularly to reflect current conditions.
How will the message get out?
The three states are collaborating on getting the word out at highways and airports across the three states, and through websites and social media. The states are also asking hotels to communicate the 14-day quarantine to guests arriving from one of the impacted states.
How will the quarantine be enforced?
The quarantine is voluntary, with each state responsible for its own enforcement.
In NYS, if someone is reported for not obeying the quarantine, they could be subject to a judicial order, mandatory quarantine and potential fines starting at $2,000 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second and up to $10,000 for further violations.
There is a mechanism in place for the public to report violations by phone (1-833-789-0470), online, or by contacting their local health department.
Is this type of quarantine unique to the Tri-State region?
No, according to Travel Pulse, a number of other states already require incoming travelers to self-quarantine, either for 14 days or the duration of their stay. These include Alaska, Arizona, Arkansa, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Vermont.
"In New York we went from the highest number of cases to some of the lowest rates in the country - no one else had to bend the curve as much as we did and now we have to make sure that the rate continues to drop in our entire region," said Governor Cuomo.
“This is a smart thing to do,” said Governor Murphy. “We have taken our people, these three states, to hell and back."
President Trump is expected to visit New Jersey this weekend after attending a rally in Arizona but according to a Governor Murphy, the President is exempt from the advisory because he is deemed an essential worker.
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