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NEW YORK, NY – New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the government will set up COVID-19 checkpoints across the city to enforce the mandatory 14-day quarantine for visitors from virus hotspots.
De Blasio revealed this new COVID-19 protection measure during a press conference on Wednesday, August 5 reports NBC 4 New York. The Mayor explained that New York City has made significant progress in stopping the spread of COVID-19, with only two deaths recorded in the last four days.
However, he stated that many residents and travelers are becoming complacent and are failing to comply with ongoing safety measures. De Blasio believes that strictly enforcing the 14-day quarantine for visitors will help reduce the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
In June, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that travelers from designated COVID-19 hotspots would have to quarantine for 14-days after their arrival to New York. However, the government did not effectively enforce this restriction and many travelers refused to comply with the quarantine order.
De Blasio’s new plan will create multiple COVID-19 checkpoints in locations where travelers are most likely to enter the city. The checkpoint locations will change daily, to prevent travelers from avoiding known checkpoints.
At the airports and the newly created checkpoints, visitors will complete a contact tracing form and officials will determine if travelers are complying with COVID-19 safety regulations. Any traveler who fails to complete the COVID-19 form may face a mandatory quarantine and a fine between $2,000 and $10,000 dollars.
At this time, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut recognize 34 U.S. states and Puerto Rico as COVID-19 hotspots. However, this list of mandatory-quarantine states may continue to grow, as the pandemic spreads throughout the country.
