NYC opens checkpoints to enforce mandatory 2 week quarantine
New York City officials have announced that beginning today, travelers coming into the city will be required to complete a mandatory form and quarantine if they are traveling from any the 35 high-infection states listed below.
While officials have not announced the location of these checkpoints, they are expected to be popping up at major bridges and tunnels around the city today. Those who refuse to fill out the form will be subject to a $2,000 fine. Anyone caught violating the quarantine could be hit with a whopping $10,000 fine.
Truckers are considered essential workers and are NOT required to comply with these orders as long as they are traveling to, through, or departing from the city. Truckers that reside in NYC and are returning home from any of these high infection states (listed below) will be required to follow several guidelines:
Short Term – for essential workers traveling to New York State for a period of less than 12 hours.
- This includes instances such as an essential worker passing through New York, delivering goods, awaiting flight layovers, and other short duration activities.
- Essential workers should stay in their vehicle and/or limit personal exposure by avoiding public spaces as much as possible.
- Essential workers should monitor temperature and signs of symptoms, wear a face covering when in public, maintain social distance, and clean and disinfect workspaces.
- Essential workers are required, to the extent possible, to avoid extended periods in public, contact with strangers, and large congregate settings.
Medium Term – for essential workers traveling to New York State for a period of less than 36 hours, requiring them to stay overnight.
- This includes instances such as an essential worker delivering multiple goods in New York, awaiting longer flight layover, and other medium duration activities.
- Essential workers should monitor temperature and signs of symptoms, wear a face covering when in public, maintain social distance, and clean and disinfect workspaces.
- Essential workers are required, to the extent possible, to avoid extended periods in public, contact with strangers, and large congregate settings.
Long Term – for essential workers traveling to New York State for a period of greater than 36 hours, requiring them to stay several days.
- This includes instances such as an essential worker working on longer projects, fulfilling extended employment obligations, and other longer duration activities.
- Essential workers should seek diagnostic testing for COVID-19 as soon as possible upon arrival (within 24 hours) to ensure they are not positive.
- Essential workers should monitor temperature and signs of symptoms, wear a face covering when in public, maintain social distancing, clean and disinfect workspaces for a minimum of 14 days.
- Essential workers, to the extent possible, are required to avoid extended periods in public, contact with strangers, and large congregate settings for a period of, at least, 14 days.
One unintended consequence of these checkpoints will likely be major delays getting into the city as travelers fill out the forms. While NYC mayor De Blasio was vague on exactly how officials would minimize traffic congestion, he did say that city officials are still in talks about potentially having the checkpoints rotated to new locations to avoid the delays.
“The DOF Sheriff’s Office in coordination with other law enforcement agencies will undertake traveler registration checkpoints at major bridge and tunnel crossings into New York City. As Sheriff, I understand the absolute serious nature of this pandemic as well as this decided course of action. The entire team will strive to ensure the deployment balances the critical public health and welfare needs of the residents of the city with the legal protections entitled to all people,” said Sheriff Joseph Fucito.
States listed as “High-Infection States” on the notice:
- Alaska
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Nebraska
- New Mexico
- Nevada
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
