New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced on Saturday that visitors to the state must test negative for COVID-19 three days before arrival.
The change replaces the state’s 14-day mandatory quarantine policy, and comes as New York reports a seven-day positivity rate of 1.49 percent — the third lowest in the country.
Cuomo said in a statement that the “ship of State is sailing well,” but noted that “travel has become an issue” and that experts suggested a shift from the quarantine policy.
“So there will be no quarantine list; there will be one rule that applies across the country,” Cuomo said. “We bent the curve of this virus by following the data and the science, and we are continuing that approach with these new guidelines.”
Under the new rules, travelers must get tested within three days prior to landing in the state, quarantine for at least three days upon arrival, and then get tested on the fourth day of quarantine. Travelers that test negative on that fourth day will no longer have to quarantine.
People who are only out of the state for less than 24 hours do not have to quarantine, but will have to get tested on their fourth day back in the state.
The new protocol will go into effect on Nov. 4, and will not apply to travel between New York and the states of Connecticut, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, CNN noted.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut issued a joint travel advisory in August that included mandatory quarantines for travelers visiting from 34 states and Puerto Rico.
Cuomo said earlier this month that 43 states had met the criteria for the travel advisory. At the time, he said it was “a bizarre outcome, considering New York once had the highest infection rate.”
There are currently 9.1 million COVID-19 cases across the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University. Over 230,000 Americans have died.