Welcome to New York, you are now free to lock yourself in your hotel room for a few days and then take a COVID-19 test. That’s the plan Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday for travelers looking to visit the Big Apple. The new rules include taking a COVID-19 test before your trip, quarantining for at least three days upon your arrival, and then taking another test to prove you still do not have the coronavirus.
The requirements will not apply to residents of “contiguous” states and travelers who leave New York for less than 24 hours. Contiguous states basically include those surrounding New York that have large numbers of commuters who travel into New York City. Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey are all examples of states that would most likely qualify.
Essential workers, such as nurses and grocery store workers, are exempt from the new rules.
New York dealt with one of the largest and deadliest outbreaks of COVID-19 earlier in the year, but now it has some of the lowest rates in the country. Cuomo is happy to see New York on the low end of cases, saying, “New Yorkers should be really proud of what they’re doing; to be third in the nation is very good.”
The new rules replace the previous 14-day quarantine period for anyone traveling from states with a coronavirus outbreak. Under the new rule, if you test positive for the virus, you will be required to remain in quarantine. Anyone who refuses the test in New York will still be required to quarantine for the full 14 days.
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