Over half of US can’t go to NY without 2-week quarantine: Cuomo

ALBANY — More than half of the United States cannot visit New York, New Jersey or Connecticut without quarantining for two weeks upon arrival, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.

Thirty-one states have now landed themselves on the tristate travel advisory list, thanks to recently recorded coronavirus spikes.

“The infection rate across the country is getting worse, not better. We are adding 10 states now,” Cuomo told reporters during a conference call from Albany.

“Ten more states are above the quarantine formula: Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, Washington. Minnesota is below, so Minnesota comes off,” he said.

“Total of 31 states is now on. COVID is now increasing in 41 states across the country and 31 are on the quarantine list.”

The order mandates a 14-day isolation period for individuals flying or driving in from the hotspot states.

The unlucky states are added if virus data shows a positive coronavirus test rate higher than 10 per 10,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over the same time frame.

Cuomo announced last week people flying into the Empire State from these high-infection states must complete a form detailing where they came from, or face up to $2,000 in penalties.

New York’s own statewide infection rate is presently 1.2 percent.

“Again, why are we trying to help out other places and learn about these necessary operations that have to be in place? Because our future is in their hands. We may not be unified as a nation the way we should be, but we’re gonna have national unity in the trajectory of COVID,” he added.

“One state cannot protect itself from this virus. It is community spread, only community can resolve it.”

The governor traveled to Georgia — a state also included in the travel advisory — Monday to meet with Savannah officials, deliver PPE supplies and set up plans for two testing and tracing operations.

However, upon returning, Cuomo did not have to quarantine, as he qualifies as an essential worker, according to the state Department of Health’s guidance on the matter.

He returned via a JetBlue flight the same day.

The complete list is: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Delaware had been dropped from the list last week, but was put back on by state officials Tuesday.