Florida Lifts Travel Restrictions for Guests From New York Tri-State Area

by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 6, 2020

Guests arriving from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut may now have an easier time keeping that Disney World reservation, thanks to the fact that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis today rescinded the 14-day quarantine restrictions on travelers arriving in Florida from those three states.  

But don’t celebrate quite yet – New York’s quarantine restrictions for arrivals from 35 other states including Florida remain in effect. So, New Yorkers might not have to use those 14 days to quarantine when arriving in Florida, but they will upon returning home. 

In fact, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday that additional traveler registration check points at major bridge and tunnel entries to New York City will begin operating today (August 6) to ensure quarantine compliance requirements and completion of New York State Department of Health Traveler Forms.

On March 23, with COVID-19 numbers rising across the tri-state region, Florida Governor DeSantis imposed restrictions on people traveling via airplane to Florida from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. He also established checkpoints on highways coming into Florida to inform out-of-state travelers of the mandatory quarantine. In June, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo “returned the favor” by implementing a similar quarantine restriction on travel from Florida, one of the first states to make it to New York’s list, although there are now 35 states under travel restrictions.  New York’s Executive Order is based on a seven-day rolling average of positive tests in excess of 10%, or number of positive cases exceeding 10 per 100,000 residents, and imposes fines of $10,000 for individuals who fail to quarantine.

So, instead of blocking out more than a full month (33 days) for a five day trip to Disney (14 days in Florida quarantine, 5 days in Disney, and 14 days of quarantine upon returning home), New Yorkers now only have to set aside just under three weeks (19 days) for a 5 day Disney getaway (5 days in Disney, and 14 days of quarantine upon returning home). 

How badly do you want that Dole Whip?

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.