On Wednesday, March 3, 2021, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that domestic travelers to New York State who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 will no longer be required to quarantine or be tested upon arrival in the 90 days following their full vaccination. The New York State COVID-19 Travel Advisory (which has not yet been updated to reflect the Governor’s announcement) currently requires travelers from noncontiguous states and territories to quarantine for ten days upon arrival, or obtain two negative tests within the time period provided in the travel advisory.

This change reflects current CDC recommendations following COVID-19 exposure (as opposed to travel) which no longer advise quarantine for those who: (1) are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (i.e., at least two weeks have passed from the second dose of a two-dose vaccine, or from receipt of a single-dose vaccine), (2) received their final dose within the previous three months, and (3) remain asymptomatic.

Cuomo also stated that international travelers arriving in New York must continue to follow CDC travel and quarantine guidance, whether or not they are vaccinated. Currently, the CDC requires that all international travelers produce a negative COVID-19 test within three days prior to departure, and recommends that all travelers quarantine for at least ten days upon arrival in the United States, or seven days if they test negative 3-5 days after arrival. New York State requires international travelers from CDC Level 2 or higher countries quarantine for ten days or produce two negative tests. We will need to await additional guidance from New York State to see exactly which restrictions will apply to international travelers going forward.

We will update this post if New York updates its official COVID-19 Travel Advisory to reflect the Governor’s announcement or if the CDC releases any new guidance regarding travel quarantines.