New York State has recently unveiled an Executive Order (Executive Order 205) mandating that individuals who visit certain states be quarantined for 14 days upon their return. These states have been identified by the state as especially problematic with regard to the spread of COVID-19. This list is constantly updated, but will only effect an individual if they visited a state while that state was currently listed. This order does not force the quarantine of individuals who are only passing through/laying over in a designated state.

The Executive Order carves out limited exemptions for Essential Workers and First Responders travelling to New York from one of those states. “Short term” (less than 12 hours in the state) and “medium term”  (less than 36 hours in the state) essential workers and first responders in the state must take enhanced social distancing steps (limiting public contact, monitoring symptoms actively etc.) but need not quarantine for 14 days. “Long term” essential workers and first responders should avoid contact as much as possible for at least 7 days after arrival in the state.

If an individual spends 24 hours or more in a designated state, they are required to quarantine for 14 days for the safety of the public. Employers should stay on top of this list and refrain from sending employees out for business in areas identified as hotspots by New York State.

To facilitate compliance with this law, the state has also released an FAQ to assist employers with the nuances of such quarantine orders. Important information is detailed below:

-The order is not retroactive: any employees who visited a state currently designated on the list BEFORE such designation, then the employee is not required to quarantine.

-The FAQ contains a fairly detailed set of instructions for individuals who do quarantine.

-An exemption for quarantine may be made for someone who has a necessary medical appointment that cannot be re-scheduled.

The entire FAQ can be found HERE. All employers should consult the current travel restriction list when sending an employee out of state for work spanning any significant length of time.