As COVID-19 numbers surge, New York orders 14-day quarantine for visiting Floridians
The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced Wednesday that their states will require visitors from Florida and eight other states with rising COVID-19 case numbers to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival.
This edict goes into effect at midnight as Thursday begins.
If this sounds familiar, it comes three months and a day after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis decreed the same 14-day self-lockdown for those coming to Florida on flights from New York or New Jersey. Back then, New York City, served mainly by LaGuardia Airport, JFK Airport and Newark Airport, was the nation’s novel coronavirus pandemic epicenter.
On Wednesday, Florida again hit a new daily case high, 5,508, and the Department of Health reported 15.91% of new cases tested positive, continuing a rise over the last 10 days from 4.38%.
“We have a very real problem right now where many states are experiencing an increased spread of the COVID-19 virus, just as New York is seeing the lowest infection rate,” Cuomo said. “We’ve been working with our neighboring states throughout this pandemic, and we have agreed to a joint incoming travel advisory with New Jersey and Connecticut that all individuals who are traveling from other states with high infection rates must quarantine for 14 days to help prevent a renewed spread of the virus.”
To qualify for the self-quarantine in the three states, a state has to have a positive test rate above 10 per 100,000 residents or have a seven-day rolling positive test rate higher than 10%.
For now, that covers, Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington
This could, clearly, affect vacations of Floridians to such places as the Jersey Shore or Fire Island. Hotels will be asked to tell guests from states on the list that they’re on 14-day quarantine.
Enforcement, however, generally seems to be on the honor system.
It will “focus on personal responsibility using ... messaging on highways, airports, websites and social media across the three states,” the joint release from Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 3:34 PM with the headline "As COVID-19 numbers surge, New York orders 14-day quarantine for visiting Floridians."
