New guidelines in New York allow travellers to ‘test out’ of mandatory 14-day quarantine

New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced new guidelines allowing out-of-state travellers to New York to ‘test out’ of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travellers from states that are contiguous with New York will continue to be exempt from the travel advisory.

However, covered travellers must continue to fill out the Traveller Health Form. Essential workers will continue to be exempt, as well. The new protocol went into effect from 4 November.

Previously, the state had an automatic two-week quarantine when entering New York from out of state. With the new update, governor Cuomo said in a press release that there will be no quarantine list; there will be one rule that applies across the country.

For any traveller to New York state from out of state, exempting the contiguous states, the new guidelines for travellers to test-out of the mandatory 14-day quarantine include:

• For travellers who were in another state for more than 24 hours- They must obtain a test within three days of departure from that state; they must, upon arrival in the state, quarantine for three days. On day four of their quarantine, they must seek another COVID test. If both tests come back negative, the traveller may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test.
• For travellers who were in another state for less than 24 hours- They do not need a test prior to their departure from the other state, and do not need to quarantine upon arrival in the state. However, they must fill out the traveller information form upon entry into the state, and take a COVID diagnostic test four days after their arrival .

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 traveller came from to ensure contact tracing proceeds there, as well.