Guam joins N.Y. quarantine list, five states are taken off

ALBANY — Travelers from a quintet of states no longer have to quarantine for two weeks when arriving in New York as Gov. Cuomo updated his coronavirus travel advisory.

Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Maryland and Montana were taken off the list of COVID-19 hotspots Tuesday, but with the addition of Guam the total number of restricted states and U.S. jurisdictions stands at 31.

“While it’s good news that five states have been removed from the travel advisory, the list remains far too long as America continues to struggle with COVID-19,” the governor said.

New York, along with New Jersey and Connecticut, instituted a 14-day quarantine in June for anyone entering the tristate area from somewhere with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or anywhere with a 10% or higher infection rate over a seven-day rolling average.

Cuomo said Monday optional virus tests will be rolled out in the coming weeks for travelers arriving at Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.

The state received results from 67,255 tests Monday, of which 629 were positive, for a 0.94% infection rate.

Two more New Yorkers died of the virus and 63 more were admitted to hospitals, bringing the number of hospitalizations to 500.

While the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its guidance directing anyone traveling outside their home state to selfisolate, Cuomo said the tristate travel advisory is instrumental to stopping a second wave in New York.