Failure to submit tracing form may prove costly

Travelers from certain states landing at New York airports starting Tuesday could face a $2,000 fine for failing to fill out a form that state officials will use to track travelers and ensure they’re following quarantine restrictions.

New York — hard-hit by the pandemic in March and April — is trying to get more travelers to comply with a June advisory aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 from states where the virus is now surging.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut last month issued a joint travel advisory that requires a 14-day quarantine period for travelers from a list that now includes 19 states, including Texas and Florida, where COVID-19 appears to be spreading. The advisory includes states if their seven day rolling average of positive tests exceeds 10%, or if the number of positive cases exceeds 10 per 100,000 residents.

In New York, airport travelers from those states will now face a $2,000 fine if they leave the airport without filling out the form. Impacted travelers could face a hearing and an order requiring mandatory quarantine, under a new state emergency health order issued Monday.

New York’s contact form asks for the traveler’s birth date, phone number, email address, gender, date of arrival and method of travel into New York. Travelers are also asked whether their final destination is in New York, if their primary residence is in the state, how long they’re staying, and where they’re staying.