The state of New York, along with Connecticut and New Jersey, is imposing a travel advisory for people traveling from states with high COVID-19 rates.
“People coming in from states that have a high infection rate must quarantine for 14 days," Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday. "We have a calibration for the infection rate and any state that goes over that infection rate, that state will be subject to the quarantine.”
What You Need To Know
- New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have imposed a travel advisory for people traveling from states with high COVID-19 rates
- Officials at the Greater Rochester International Airport say it will still be business as usual
- Starting Thursday, people coming from highly infected states must quarantine for 14 days or risk punishment
The Greater Rochester International Airport says it has two daily flights from North Carolina, and two weekly flights from Florida — two of the nine states listed in the advisory.
As of Wednesday evening, officials say that despite the advisory, it will be business as usual for those travelers.
“Right now we don’t have anything planned for them when they arrive off the aircraft, we are getting more guidance from the state, but we don’t have that information at this point in time," said Andy Moore, airport director of the Greater Rochester International Airport.
The advisory applies to people arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average.
Spectrum News talked to a passenger traveling from Texas back to Rochester.
“Well, we just spend two weeks in Austin, Texas and we were watching the numbers in Texas creep up, people in Texas I think are a lot less careful than we saw in Rochester, so I think the decision is a good one,” said Kent Gardner of Rochester.
One passenger from North Carolina said she came to Rochester three days early because of the advisory by Cuomo.
“I think it’s a smart thing, people in North Carolina aren’t taking it seriously, they’re not wearing their masks, and I think it’s a repercussion for how people are acting in North Carolina,” said Gabrielle Zaccour of Concord, North Carolina.
The airport says it will take a partnership between the airlines and airport to educate travelers about the advisory.
“When passengers are traveling, they should always be checking with their airlines for any flight restrictions, or any information that may impact their travel, so that may help in letting them know what’s going on with these travel advisories,” said Moore.
The travel advisory takes effect Thursday and Governor Cuomo says the list of states with high COVID-19 cases will be updated daily.