Gov. Cuomo Is Deploying ‘Enforcement Teams’ — Including Police Officers — At Airports

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is deploying “enforcement teams” that include police officers to airports to keep track of visitors to New York as officials enforce the Democrat’s out-of-state travel advisory, which mandates that all travelers from coronavirus hot-spot states must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

On Monday, the governor issued an executive order that requires travelers from designated states — at least 22 at last count — to fill out a “contact information form” established by the N.Y. Department of Health. The mandate applies to all visitors traveling by plane, train or car and require contacts phone numbers and addresses for where the visitors will be staying. 

The enforcement teams will “meet arriving aircrafts at gates and greet disembarking passengers to request proof of completion” of the form, according to the state’s website. Among the team members will be peace officers as well as Port Authority and State Police officers.

Travelers who leave the airport without completing the form can be fined $2,000 fine — and could even be ordered to complete a mandatory quarantine. If anyone violates the quarantine order, they face a fine of up to $10,000. 

“New York’s success in fighting the COVID-19 virus is under two threats: lack of compliance and the virus coming to New York from other states with increasing infection rates,” Cuomo said in a statement.

“The State Department of Health is going to issue an emergency health order today mandating that out-of-state travelers complete the DOH traveler form before leaving the airport, and we are launching an enforcement operation at airports across the state to help ensure travelers coming into New York are following this order,” he said. 

According to the governor’s order, the 22 states have “a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average.”

State Republicans pushed back on the plan.

“This overreach of power violates the civil liberties of New Yorkers and citizens across this country, who do not need the government to threaten fines and quarantines in order to travel responsibly,” Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt said. “This is putting an unwelcome mat at New York’s door.”