New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is tightening quarantine orders for out-of-state travelers with high rates of COVID-19.
Cuomo say travelers from the 19 states now on the restricted list will be required to fill out a form that includes the address of where they will be for the mandatory 14-day quarantine, or there will be immediate repercussions.
“It will be enforced in every airport in the state of new York,” Cuomo said.
Violators who don’t turn in the forms will face an automatic $2,000 fine and may be called to a hearing before a judge to arrange a mandatory supervised quarantine.
The governor issued the rules after incidences upstate of travelers from Georgia and Florida spreading the virus, two states on the travel ban list.
Cuomo says New York now has very low rates of COVID-19, with just 10 deaths on Sunday, and he does not want to see the virus rate increase because of infection brought in from other states.
"This overreach of power violates the civil liberties of New Yorkers and citizens across this country, who do not need the government to threaten fines and quarantines in order to travel responsibly," New York state Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said in a statement. "This is putting an unwelcome mat at New York’s door. Such severe action will keep people and their dollars away, at a time when our businesses need them most. It’s also unclear if such an order would even stand up in court, and we hope that groups who care about civil liberties will challenge this order to protect individuals. The New York Senate Republicans will continue to fight to strip the Governor of his powers. The decision making process must be restored to the Legislature before more damage is done to our citizens, businesses, and overall economy."
