Travelers to NY must test for virus, nearby states exempted

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York is now requiring travelers from non-neighboring states to get a coronavirus test before, and potentially after, they arrive in the state.

New York for months had attempted to maintain a list of states with high COVID-19 infection rates, where travelers from those states would be required to quarantine 14 days upon arrival. It is now scrapping that effort.

Instead, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday travelers from all non-neighboring states must test negative for COVID-19 no more than three days before they enter New York.

Individuals arriving without proof of a negative test won't be stopped from entering the state, but will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Travelers-to-NY-must-test-for-virus-nearby-15690958.php?IPID=Times-Union-HP-CP-Spotlight

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Great idea, and I would hope nowhere in the world would an American be welcome

without testing, considering we are one of the worst places on earth.

[getagrip_already]

2. hmmm, need to find which states are exempt....

The vaguely worded neighboring states is a little non-descript.

Mass shares a border, but is it on the nice or naughty list?

[L.Pharmstrong]

10. Contiguous states.

Last edited Sun Nov 1, 2020, 10:32 AM - Edit history (1)

It’s explicit in the executive order;

“ All travelers entering New York from a state which is not a contiguous state shall quarantine for a period of 14 days consistent with Department of Health regulations for quarantine unless.”

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-2052-quarantine-restrictions-travelers-arriving-new-york

[paleotn]

3. The kicker is enforcement....

We've struggled with that. Like ME, you can stop them from getting a hotel room unless they provide recent proof they're negative, but lots of folks have second homes, family and friends here. And there's no mechanism to ensure they quarantine as required. That has led to some spreader events this summer and fall. Luckily the leaves are gone, but the ski slopes are now gearing up. Skiers themselves don't tend to wander much, but employees at ski resorts do. Ugh.

[roamer65]

4. Use the NY National Guard to enforce it at the border with PA.

Sign up NJ to do same at the Delaware River crossings.

Document of a clear test or NO ENTRY.

I am a big proponent of Michigan doing the same with our border with OH, IN and WI.

If we would clamp down in MI, we could reopen the border for Michiganders to go to Canada.

[ancianita]

5. Cuomo has said that's impossible, because a) the commerce clause, b) massive highway systems

across neighboring states' borders that no state's LEO's could staff, c) the National Guard is already handling essential services.

Border patrols for car travel are logistically and legally unenforceable. But all other transportation is.

https://www.nationalguard.mil/coronavirus/

[mwooldri]

6. Unenforceable for truck drivers.

Fortunately truck drivers tend to self isolate anyway - nature of the job. We're the only ones generally allowed across the border into Canada right now - as long as we're hauling freight (or about to collect and bring freight back).

[ancianita]

8. Right. Because of the commerce clause.

[roamer65]

7. Then COVID is going to spread to NY and New England.

Canada’s infection rates are FAR lower because of a restricted, hard border.

[ancianita]

11. Probably. A highly infectious virus, in a large country allegedly run by consent of the people,

will affect the undisciplined, inattentive and mindless among them.
New York knows it cannot force people of free will to stay away, only to follow its testing and quarantine rules through fines and monitoring. Its cluster problems come from visitors.

It's no wonder, though, that other countries (even Canada, whose density is less and population is only as big as California's) can contain COVID more easily than this one -- most of them are only the size of our states, and so the scale of preventive measures works more uniformly. Multiply COVID across 50 different governing systems and we have what Trump leaves up to the governors -- politics and ungoverned free will, which I'd call a number of things, but won't.

What we ever thought the "united" part about the U.S. is, it so far hasn't included any approach to deadly microbes. Messaging, mobilizing and monitoring has always been slower and harder to do when the free willed don't or won't listen or change with external challenges.

The irresponsible use of freedom didn't have to happen this way.

[DeminPennswoods]

9. Lots of that PA/NYS border is forest and woods

ftr.

[IronLionZion]

12. COVID testing is more available now

so it probably shouldn't be a problem for people traveling. I visited western NY in September for social distance hiking. Masked up the whole time and steered clear of people. The liberals there are doing it right. I didn't see many maskholes.