It’s not the New York welcome travelers are used to — passengers flying in from states now considered COVID-19 hotspots will receive a reminder of the new quarantine rules to keep infection rates here low.

What You Need To Know


  • The tristate area will impose a quarantine on travelers from any state where infections exceed 10 percent positivity rate for COVID-19.

  • The order currently applies to eight states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, and Texas.

  • The 14-day self-quarantine order is similar to orders other states imposed on New Yorkers earlier in the pandemic.

"They just made an announcement on the PA about how New York says you need to isolate if you are coming from Florida, but that's it, it was just an announcement, nobody enforced it in anyway. There is no paperwork, it’s just a free for all,” said Nicolas Negron, who flew from Florida to JFK on Thursday as the mandate went into effect.

It was imposed by Governor Cuomo and his counterparts in New Jersey and Connecticut.

Visitors arriving from states with a 10 percent positive test rate for the coronavirus are required to quarantine for 14 days.

It mirrors orders other states imposed on New Yorkers early in the pandemic.

Negron said when he arrived in Tampa a few weeks ago he was asked to fill out paperwork about his visit. That was not the case when returning to New York. 

"If you don't want to or if you are in disagreement with what is going on in society, nobody is following up, nobody is checking," added Negron.

The governor’s office said it will enforce the 14-day rule by checking flight itineraries and informing travelers about the quarantine, setting up highway check points for drivers, and issuing fines to those found in violation.

Travelers arriving at LaGuardia Airport Friday from  Florida said they are not worried about breaking the rule.

"I have work and I have stuff to do. I am an essential worker. A lot of the stuff I do is business. I live here," said one traveler.

"Not really concerned, I have a very open view about the virus," added another visiting from Miami.

Cuomo said states will be added or dropped from the quarantine list as test results warrant.

It’s all part of the effort to try and stop the virus from returning in a big way to New York.