#Nearly half of Americans have to quarantine if they enter New York

ALBANY — Nearly half the US must now quarantine if they come to visit the greater New York area.

Four more states were added Tuesday to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut’s coronavirus travel advisory list requiring visitors to quarantine for 14 days.

Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Wisconsin join a growing group of now 22 states experiencing spikes in COVID-19 cases amidst varied economic reopening plans specific to each state.

States get added to the rolls if their virus data shows a positive coronavirus test rate higher than 10 per 10,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or if a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over the same period.

“New Yorkers showed incredible courage and resiliency throughout this pandemic, and nowhere is their work more evident than in the numbers we release every day, including in New York City, once a global hotspot,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.

“However, the success of our efforts depends on citizens’ willingness to comply with state guidance, socially distance, wear masks and wash their hands, and rising cases around the country continue to threaten our progress, which is why four new states have been added to New York’s travel advisory.

The Democratic governor announced the additions after issuing a new mandate Monday that all travelers flying into New York airports will be required to submit a form detailing where they have flown in from, and promising to perform a 14-day voluntary quarantine.

The new rule mandates individuals leaving the airport hand off the documents to airline officials, and failure to comply will result in an immediate summons and fine of $2,000.

It will be enforced by the Port Authority and airport authorities.

Further action includes a hearing and mandatory isolation order from the state Health Department.

The original order was announced after Cuomo started vocalizing worries over spikes in other states. He said travelers would be made subject to “random” airport checks and trusted to follow the advisory based on the honor system.

The catalog presently includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Delaware was dropped from the list Tuesday.

The virus claimed the lives of five more New Yorkers as of midnight Monday, bringing the statewide death total to 24,994 confirmed deaths.

820 total patients were hospitalized and just over 60,000 COVID-19 tests were performed.

The average for positive tests statewide rests at 1.5 percent, but New York City’s positive test average was slightly lower, at 1.4 percent.