NYC to Implement Checkpoints at Bridges and Tunnels to Help Enforce Out-of-state Travelers' Quarantine

New York City will set up checkpoints to enforce the state’s mandatory quarantine for travelers coming from dozens of states with high rates of COVID-19 infections, the city’s Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday.

Traveler registration checkpoints will be set up at “major bridge and tunnel crossings into New York City,” according to de Blasio. The Mayor's Public Engagement Unit will also begin outreach efforts at Penn Station to educate travelers about the quarantine starting Thursday.

“New York City is holding the line against COVID-19, and New Yorkers have shown tremendous discipline,” de Blasio said in a statement. “We’re not going to let our hard work slip away and will continue to do everything we can to keep New Yorkers safe and healthy.”

The mandatory self-quarantine order was first announced in June as a joint effort between New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. The list has since grown to 34 states and Puerto Rico.

Enforcement teams have already been deployed to New York airports to request proof that disembarking travelers have completed the state’s arrival form, which is being handed out by airlines. Those who do not comply with the order to self-quarantine for 14 days could face a $2,000 fine.

Non-essential travelers who come from states with an infection rate of more than 10 per 100,000 residents on a seven-day rolling average have to remain in their homes or hotel rooms and can only leave for essential reasons, including medical appointments or to get food.

In addition to the checkpoints, de Blasio said the city will partner with tourism and transportation companies to ensure travelers complete the required health forms as well as add digital signage at points of entry into the city reminding people about the quarantine.

The tri-state area isn’t alone in requiring visitors from other states to quarantine on arrival. Several cities and states have implemented similar initiatives, including in Chicago and Massachusetts, which requires a 14-day quarantine or proof of a negative COVID-19 test.