Coronavirus: What states require quarantine after flying into?

The United States is reassessing its reopening strategy as coronavirus cases surge despite many believing the worst of the pandemic was over. On Friday, for the third day in a row, the country experienced record cases, 45,000 people tested positive for the virus. Several states are recording records highs daily and there is no end in sight.

Florida, Nevada and South Carolina recorded record highs on Friday as they continue to count the cost of lax rules and regulations. A few days ago, the highest daily total was just north of 36,000, but now that number has been beaten for the last three days in a row. Almost two and a half million people have tested positive for the virus in America and over 125,000 have lost their lives to it since it began.

The Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Carlos Gimenez said he would sign an emergency order on Saturday closing beaches from July 3 to July 7. That would mean 4th of July celebrations planned for the beach would have to be changed.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have released a strict travel advisory for people entering the state. Along with those three states, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Vermont all require travellers to pass through quarantine. They were all brought in on different dates and expire on different dates but many of the quarantine rules can and will be extended.

Why do New York, New Jersey and Connecticut require quarantine?

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have reacted to the increasing cases and will require travellers from out of state to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in the states based on certain criteria. "The commissioner of the Department of Health to issue a travel advisory to be communicated widely at all major points of entry into New York, including on highway message boards and in all New York airports," said Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York in a statement on the state's official website as he announced the measures.

The travel advisory applies to anyone coming from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average. It also applied to anyone coming from a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average, according to a joint announcement from the governors of the three states. Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah are all currently on the list of states that fill those criteria. Washington State was also on the list but were dropped from it after a further review of their coronavirus cases according to the New York Times.

“We now have to make sure the rates continue to drop,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday at a briefing in New York City. “We also have to make sure the virus doesn’t come on a plane again.”

"This is not a polite recommendation, this is a strong advisory built on the back of the healthcare professionals," said New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy. "We are asking folks to take on a big amount of personal responsibility here, to do the right thing for themselves as well as for their families, communities and the rest of us."