New NY COVID-19 Travel Rule for Some Who Are Vaccinated Will Get Them Back to Work Sooner

Domestic travelers to New York from at least 24 hours out of state (New Yorkers or those who reside in another state) who have received their COVID-19 vaccine within 90 days of their arrival date will no longer have to quarantine or test out of quarantine. For employers, that will mean their employees in that category will be immediately eligible to return to the workplace. Travelers to New York from abroad will still need to follow the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) guidelines as to testing and quarantine.

New York’s quarantine rules date to the Summer of 2020, first for certain non-contiguous states, and later for all non-contiguous states, with a mechanism to exit quarantine early with COVID-19 testing prior to and after arrival. Those rules remain for those not vaccinated within 90 days of their arrival from at least 24 hours out of state and require a 10 day quarantine unless a negative test is obtained within 3 days prior to departure and at least 4 days after arrival. The negative result from the second test must be received before the traveler may exit quarantine. Non-vaccinated travelers out of state less than 24 hours need not be tested prior to departure, and do not need to quarantine, but do need to get a COVID-19 test four days after arrival.

If you have any questions regarding the issues discussed above or if you have any other Labor & Employment Law concerns, please contact the Underberg & Kessler attorney who regularly handles your legal matters or Paul Keneally, the author of this piece, here or at (585) 258-2882.