New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced new guidelines allowing out-of-state travelers to New York to "test out" of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York will continue to be exempt from the travel advisory; however, covered travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. (Essential workers will continue to be exempt, as well.) The new protocol went into effect Wednesday, November 4.
Previously, New York had an automatic two-week quarantine when entering New York from out of state. The American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) sent a letter to Gov. Cuomo, requesting that the state explore alternatives, such as exempting those who test negative from the quarantine requirement.
With the update, Gov. Cuomo said in a press release “there will be no quarantine list; there will be one rule that applies across the country.”
For any traveler to New York State from out of state, exempting the contiguous states, the new guidelines for travelers to test-out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine include:
- For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours:
- Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure from that state
- The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days
- On Day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must take another COVID test; if both tests come back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test
- For travelers who were in another state for less than 24 hours:
- The traveler does not need a test prior to their departure from the other state and does not need to quarantine upon arrival in New York
- The traveler must still fill out the traveler information form upon entry into New York State, and take a COVID diagnostic test four days after their arrival in the state
Local health departments will validate tests, if necessary, and if a test comes back positive, will issue isolation orders and initiate contact tracing. The local health department must make contact with the state the traveler came from to ensure contact tracing proceeds there, as well.
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