New York is instituting new travel and quarantine requirements. This applies to all travelers coming to New York and allows passengers to bypass a 14-day quarantine requirement. However, the requirement does not apply to passengers who were out of state for less than 24 hours or else are coming from a state that is contiguous with New York.
The new testing and quarantine requirement
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced on October 31st that out-of-state travelers could “test-out” of the mandatory two-week quarantine. The new protocol goes into effect on November 4th.
For travelers who want to test out of the 14-day quarantine, travelers have to obtain a test within three days of departure from the state they are coming from. This applies to passengers who were out of state for more than 24 hours.
After arriving in New York, a passenger will need to quarantine for three days. On day four, that traveler must obtain another COVID-19 test. If both are negative, the passenger is exempt from the quarantine requirement when they receive the second negative diagnostic text.
All travelers will need to fill out a traveler information form upon arrival in New York. This will contribute to the state’s contact tracing program. In case a passenger test comes back positive for COVID-19 after arriving in New York, the state will work on isolation and contact tracing procedures.
The 14-day quarantine requirement
Before this, New York had a quarantine requirement for travelers from states with a high test positivity rate. Over the last few weeks, this list swelled to include most of the United States, which essentially bars off travel to New York for most passengers.
Passengers who arrived before November 4th will need to continue to follow any guidance from health officials in the state of New York. Violating a quarantine could come with some penalties.
Quarantines and travel restrictions
Back in March and April, many states around the United States created travel restrictions and quarantine requirements for passengers coming from New York. Now, as New York has passed the worst of its COVID-19 pandemic, at least thus far, and many states around the country continue to face spiking case numbers, and the US continues to see over 80,000 and some days over 90,000 new cases in a single day.
In mid-October, Hawaii reopened for travelers from the mainland United States who take a COVID-19 test before departure from an approved laboratory. Some airlines are offering such tests to passengers before departure to make it easier for travelers to visit the Hawaiian islands.
Other countries around the world continue to mandate quarantines or have barred travelers from visiting altogether. Countries like New Zealand, Vietnam, and Australia are just a few.
The restrictions themselves affect leisure and business travelers heading to New York. Restrictions like these are reasons why airlines, which are experiencing a rebound in passenger numbers, expect New York’s capacity to grow slower than other markets as restrictions remain in place. However, it does allow a little more room for passengers to visit if they are fine with a three- or four-day quarantine requirement.
Do you think New York is taking the right step instituting testing requirements to remove quarantine requirements for 14 days? Let us know in the comments!