A closer look at state rules restricting travel from R.I.

On Tuesday, four nearby states imposed travel restrictions on people who have been in Rhode Island due to the spread of the coronavirus here.

People will be told to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut from being in Rhode Island. That’s due to the increased spread of the coronavirus in the Ocean State.

The states have their own rules, their own travel forms, their own exceptions and time frames.

For example, people don’t have to quarantine in Massachusetts if they can produce a negative test from 72 hours before their arrival; Connecticut, for the most part, does not have that testing exception, unless someone can’t quarantine because they’re there for something like a funeral.

When in doubt about a state’s rules, consult with the state. Connecticut has a full FAQ just for travel to and from “adjacent” states on their travel advisory list — in other words, Rhode Island. But here’s a deeper look at how the rules play out in each:

Massachusetts

People from higher-risk states like Rhode Island don't have to quarantine if they're just entering Massachusetts for "transitory travel": "This includes people who are passing through Massachusetts and permits travelers to drive through the State or to connect to their airplane, bus or train, or to stop at a highway rest stop, but this exception extends only so long as is reasonably required for the traveler to complete their transit, make any necessary airplane, bus, or train connection, or make use of travel services such as at a highway rest stop,“ a Massachusetts Department of Public Health website says.

People will be treated as “arriving from” a higher-risk state, and subject to the 14-day quarantine order, if they “were present in any State or jurisdiction not on the list of COVID-19 lower-risk states for more than a transitory period of time in the last 14 days.”

There’s also a work and school exemption: “People who regularly commute, at least weekly, outside of Massachusetts to a fixed place to attend school or work or any person who regularly commutes, at least weekly into Massachusetts to a fixed place to attend school or work; provided that in either case, this exception applies only to and from the person’s residence and place of work or school.”

There are also exemptions for military personnel, patients seeking medical treatment and critical infrastructure workers (but not if they’re returning from a vacation in Florida, for instance).

The questions inevitably arise for Rhode Islanders: Will I be able to get gas in Seekonk or groceries in Attleboro without quarantining? That’s unclear. Presented with those scenarios, a spokesman for the governor didn’t directly address them, instead pointing to exceptions to the travel rules on a Massachusetts website, which do not include going from Rhode Island to Massachusetts to buy necessary goods like groceries and gas.

More information, including the required form, is available on Massachusetts’ website. The inclusion of Rhode Island in its higher-risk states is effective Friday.

Connecticut

Connecticut allows for brief trips to and from Rhode Island without quarantining upon return. But it discourages them.

Its residents coming back from an adjacent state on its travel advisory list (i.e., Rhode Island) don’t have to self-quarantine on their return if they’ve been there for less than 24 hours. Still, people should think twice before doing so, the state says.

“If you planned to travel to any affected but adjacent state for vacation in the near future — you are advised to change those travel plans in order to ensure you and your friends and family stay healthy,” Connecticut says on its FAQ. “Traveling to the beach for a day in an adjacent, affected state does not trigger the self-quarantine requirement, but is still not advised at this time when COVID-19 infections in that state have grown. Connecticut has a number of great parks, beaches, and opportunities to spend time outside safely.”

Similarly, a Rhode Islander can visit Connecticut for less than 24 hours and doesn’t need to quarantine — “but we are discouraging any RI residents coming to CT if they don’t need to,“ David Bednarz, press secretary for Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, said in an email.

On the flip side, people who have been in Rhode Island for more than 24 hours and want to stay in Connecticut for more than 24 hours do have to fill out the state’s travel form and quarantine for 14 days, Connecticut says.

Connecticut residents also don’t have to self-quarantine if they’re returning from work in an adjacent state, as long as they’re not there for more than 24 hours, and people who are residents of a state on its travel advisory list can also come to work in Connecticut — again, as long as they’re there for less than 24 hours. Connecticut encourages tele-work.

More information about Connecticut’s rules is on its website.

New Jersey

Exceptions to the quarantine rules in New Jersey include people:

“Who passed through a designated state for a period of limited duration (i.e., less than 24 hours) through the course of travel.

“Who are passing through New Jersey on a layover for a period of limited duration (i.e., less than 24 hours) through the course of travel.

“Who are traveling to New Jersey for business matters that are exempted from the application of the travel advisory.

“Who are traveling to New Jersey and work in critical infrastructure fields, such as health care and federal, state and local law enforcement. Consult with your employer regarding whether there is industry-specific guidance that may apply to you.”

Unlike the three other states, though, New Jersey’s self-quarantine is encouraged, but voluntary.

More information, like on what types of businesses and workers are exempt, is available on a New Jersey website.

New York

New York also has an exception for people only passing through a state on the travel advisory list, and describes it like this:

“The requirements of the travel advisory do not apply to any individual passing through designated states for a limited duration (i.e., less than 24 hours) through the course of travel. Examples of such brief passage include but are not limited to: stopping at rest stops for vehicles, buses, and/or trains; or lay-overs for air travel, bus travel, or train travel.”

There are also different rules and exemptions for essential workers traveling to New York.

New York’s detailed travel guidance and forms are available on its website.