Tri-State Area (NY/NJ/CT) Implements Travel Quarantine

The three states that make up the Tri-State Area — New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — will implement a 14-day travel quarantine for people arriving from high-risk states.

NOTE (7/22/2020): We’ve posted a brand new article on this subject. Please visit THIS LINK for the very latest information. As of 7/22/2020, this page will no longer be updated.

UPDATED: The list of stated from which arrivals must quarantine continues to grow. This post has been updated to 7/14/2020. For the very latest states impacted by 14-day quarantine rules in NY/NJ/CT, please visit this site.

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Here we go again! Three more U.S. states are setting up de facto travel bans from other states. Back in March, when coronavirus lockdowns were new, several states rushed to quarantine travelers from other states. Florida set up highway checkpoints to scare off visitors from Louisiana, New York and other states experiencing high rates of Covid-19 infections. Texas and a few other states did the same.

22 States Are Affected

But now the tables have turned. Both Florida and Texas have recorded huge spikes in the number of new coronavirus infections, and cases are rising rapidly across several states, particularly in the Deep South and Southwestern parts of the U.S.

So New York, New Jersey and Connecticut — three states that make up the Tri-State Area — have announced a 14-day traveler quarantine. Under the new rule, anyone arriving from a state where Covid-19 infections remain high, will be required to self-isolate for two weeks. No state is specifically targeted. Instead, the measure mandates quarantine from states that remain above a predefined threshold of infection. At the moment, travelers arriving from these 22 states are impacted:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• Florida
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Utah
• Texas
• California
• Georgia
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Nevada
• Tennessee
• Kansas
• Oklahoma
• Minnesota (New as of 7/14/2020)
• Wisconsin (New as of 7/14/2020)
• New Mexico (New as of 7/14/2020)
• Ohio (New as of 7/14/2020)

The states will be constantly reviewed and revised. As we’ve seen California hit new highs, they’ve been added. As states get their cases under control, they would come off the list. And in fact, on July 14th, Delaware became the first state to be removed from the list.

Travelers who are simply transiting states on the list and staying under 24 hours are exempt from quarantine.

Final Thoughts

So it comes to this. The Tri-State Area is implementing a 14-day travel quarantine, one which will initially impact people arriving from nine states. Officials in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut did not target any specific states. But by setting an infection threshold for states, they’ve created a moving target instead.

You could plan a trip to New York City in July, only to find your home state is on the quarantine list by the time you leave. That doesn’t leave much confidence that you’ll be able to enjoy the city once you arrive. At least most airlines continue to offer free changes/cancellations.

I totally get what these states are doing. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are recovering from a deadly couple of months. While much of the country watched from a distance, New Yorkers experienced the worst of the pandemic. They don’t want nor deserve a repeat.

But I have mixed emotions. We all need to be serious about public health and safety. That said, I simply don’t like rules that prevent Americans from traveling within their own country (looking at you, Hawaii). That’s just not how we roll. Or at least it wasn’t until recently.

We’re quickly running out of places to visit. This summer, Europe is largely closed to Americans. Canada and the United States have agreed to extend their latest border closure — a border that had previously never been closed. And now, this.

But keep traveling, safely and responsibly. Take selfies with your face coverings. Wash your hands frequently, and respect others by keeping your social distance. Travel is good for the economy and good for the soul. For the diehard traveler, there is no such thing as non-essential travel. But we must experience this moment with care.

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[NYC Skyline Photo: Daniel Schwen via Wikimedia Commons]