Out-of-state travelers could face up to $10,000 in fines if they break New York City’s two-week quarantine rule. To better monitor travelers, checkpoints will be set up at major bridge and tunnel crossings into New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. In addition, the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit will begin outreach at Penn Station to educate travelers about New York State home-quarantine orders. Travelers coming in from these states must complete travel health forms to support contact tracing efforts. Non-compliance with the travel form comes with a fine of up to $2,000. Failure to quarantine could result in a fine up to $10,000.
Essential workers subject to the State’s quarantine must:
- Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and self-quarantine and seek medical advice or testing if they show symptoms.
- Limit their activities involving contact with other persons for fourteen days to the purposes that exempted them from the self-quarantine requirement to the extent possible.
- If staying longer than 36 hours in New York, seek diagnostic testing for COVID-19 as soon as possible upon arrival (within 24 hours).
Non-essential workers subject to the State’s travel quarantine must:
- Stay at their residence or in a hotel room, leaving only for essential medical appointments, treatment, or to obtain food and other essential goods when the delivery of food or other essential goods to their residence or hotel is not feasible.
- Not invite or allow guests, other than caregivers, into their quarantined residence or hotel room
- Self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 and seek appropriate medical advice or testing if COVID-19 symptoms arise.
New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito said the checks at key entry points into the city will be random and that his deputies will be “very visible”. The city has done a great job in fighting the virus as positive cases have been under 3% for the past two months. However, one in five new cases is from an out of state traveler, which is one reason why they are instituting checkpoints. It must be pointed out though, since the Sheriff is under auspices of NYC Dept of Finance, what impact, if at all will there be for vehicles that owe parking tickets or other NYC violations? Is this truly about COVID-19 rates or is it about revenue? Is it a mix? Truck drivers are exempt essential workers so these checkpoints should not impact them but smaller commercial vehicles are less obviously exempt then box trucks or tractor-trailers.
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