Most people arriving in New York state must be quarantined for at least three full days.
Most people arriving in New York state must self-quarantine for at least three full days before taking a coronavirus test, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday as he reviewed one of the quarantine regimes strictest for travelers to the United States. If this test is negative, the traveler can leave the quarantine.
The requirements, which take effect Wednesday, will not apply to residents of “contiguous” states, Cuomo told reporters, and there will be different requirements for New Yorkers who leave the state for less than 24 hours. .
He cited Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey as examples of contiguous states, where many commuters in New York City live. But it was not clear whether neighboring Vermont and Massachusetts would also be exempt from the new regime. His office did not respond to questions seeking clarification on Saturday.
People will also need to take a test that comes back negative within three days of leaving for New York, the governor said.
If the second test taken at least four days after arrival is also negative, “you can go about your business,” Cuomo said on a conference call with reporters. If it is positive, the person should remain isolated, he said.
Workers considered essential by the state, from nurses to grocers, are exempt from the rules.
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the virus can incubate for up to 14 days before someone becomes symptomatic and therefore recommends a 14-day quarantine period after possible exposure.
Under New York rule, a traveler could end their quarantine just four days after possible exposure – at the airport, for example, or during an airplane flight – despite the CDC noting that coronavirus tests may return a false negative result if they are also taken. at the start of an incubating infection.
Cuomo’s office did not respond to questions about how the rule dovetailed with CDC advice.
A New Yorker returning to the state within 24 hours of leaving does not need to quarantine but must take a test within four days of returning, Cuomo said, although his office later corrected only to say that the test should not be taken earlier than four days after his return. . If they have left for more than 24 hours in non-contiguous states or while traveling abroad, the general rules apply.
The new rules replace an earlier arrangement under which people arriving in New York City from a list of states with worsening coronavirus outbreaks were to be quarantined in a home or hotel for 14 days, regardless or the result of the test. This list has grown to include almost every state in the country.
Earlier this year, New York City battled one of the world‘s deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks, but now has one of the lowest positive test rates of any state in the country, even though cases are increasing in other areas. The most recent statewide positive test rate was 1.49%, Cuomo said on Saturday.
