N.Y. Gov. Cuomo's COVID Travel Quarantine List Now Includes About Half of All States: They're 'Threatening Progress'

Nearly half of all states are now on New York's travel quarantine list because of the increasing numbers of new coronavirus cases in many parts of the country.

The travel restrictions were announced on June 24 as states like California, Arizona, Florida and Texas were reporting record increases in new cases. So far, the virus has hit New York the hardest, with more than 402,000 cases reported by Monday, July 13. But the state has been making progress on containing the virus since reaching a peak in April, with its numbers of new cases, deaths and hospitalizations decreasing through early July.

Other states were less successful in bringing the virus under control. Citing concerns that people traveling to the East Coast from states experiencing surges in new cases could trigger a spike in infection rates, Cuomo introduced a 14-day quarantine requirement for all travelers coming into New York from states that have either an average of 10 cases per 100,000 residents or a positive testing rate greater than 10 percent. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont are implementing Cuomo's travel restrictions in their states as well.

"The success of our efforts depends on citizens' willingness to comply with state guidance, socially distance, wear masks and wash their hands," Cuomo said in a news release. "Rising cases around the country continue to threaten our progress."

Sixteen states were on Cuomo's list by the end of June. By Tuesday, the list totaled 22 with the latest additions: Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin—all of which have seen increases in new cases over the past few weeks. Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah are also on the list.

The latest four states were added one day after Cuomo said authorities would be stationed at airports to ensure all travelers complete a form indicating whether or not they had traveled from a qualifying state and were thus required to complete a 14-day quarantine. Any individual who fails to complete the form before leaving a New York airport could face a $2,000 fine.

"We have already implemented a quarantine order for travelers coming in from states with the highest infection rates, but we are experiencing non-compliance with the order that can lead to outbreaks and threaten the tremendous progress we've already made," Cuomo said in the news release announcing the new travel enforcement policy. He said enforcement efforts would begin Tuesday.

Newsweek reached out to Cuomo's office for further comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Though Cuomo said people traveling into the state from areas with surging cases posed a risk in introducing new infections, he noted that the ways in which the virus was playing out within those states serve as valuable lessons for New Yorkers. If the state and its residents were not strict about following pandemic guidelines, the governor warned, the virus could return in force.

"Look at what's happening in the rest of the country," Cuomo said in Tuesday's release. "If we are not smart, if we don't wear masks and socially distance, cases will spike."