NEW YORK — Domestic travelers will no longer have to quarantine after entering New York starting April 1, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.
Travelers, though, will still be asked to isolate themselves as a precaution. International travelers will still be required to quarantine.
"As we work to build our vaccination infrastructure even further and get more shots in arms, we're making significant progress in winning the footrace between the infection rate and the vaccination rate, allowing us to open new sectors of our economy and start our transition to a new normal in a post-pandemic world," Cuomo said in a statement. "As part of that transition, quarantine for domestic travelers is no longer required, but it is still being advised as an added precaution."
Currently, travelers, who obtain negative COVID-19 tests both before and after arriving in the state need to quarantine for three days. Travelers who do not obtain tests must isolate for 10 days.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has concerns about the new rule given the spread of two variants that are believed to be more infectious than earlier strains of the coronavirus.
"Here's another case where New York City was not consulted, even though, you know, we're one of the biggest cities in the world and 43% of the state's population, we were not consulted," de Blasio said a briefing Thursday. "Of course, I have concerns about this. You know, I think the introduction of the virus from outside has been one of the biggest and toughest X-factors in this whole crisis and something we worry about very much going forward."
The governor said all travelers must continue to fill out the the Travelers Health Form upon arrival.