New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has recently issued Executive Order (“EO”) 205, requiring the New York State Commissioner of Health to issue a travel advisory requiring everyone coming into New York from travel to states with a high rate of infections to quarantine for a 14-day period. This 14-day period runs from the time of traveler’s last contact with a listed state. The New York Department of Health determines which states are subject to the advisory. The travel advisory is effective as of 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, June 25, 2020 until rescinded by the Commissioner.  This is the link to EO 205 https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-205-quarantine-restrictions-travelers-arriving-new-york   These are the links  to NYS DOH guidance on travel which contain the list of restricted states as well as other information. https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/06/interimguidance_traveladvisory.pdf and https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory   

Affected Employees.  Interim guidance on quarantine restrictions for travelers arriving in New York issued by New York’s Department of Health on Wednesday mandates that all travelers, including New York residents, coming from the states listed by the NYS DOH must quarantine. However, these requirements do not apply to individuals “passing through” listed states for a period less than 24 hours, and there are certain exemptions for “essential workers” who travel to New York based on short term, medium term or long term stays. 

An employee shall not be eligible for paid sick leave benefits or any other paid benefits pursuant to this chapter if such employee voluntarily travels which commences after June 25, 2020  to a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10% test positivity rate, over a seven day rolling average, and which the commissioner of the department of health has designated as meeting these conditions as outlined in the advisory issued pursuant to Executive Order 205, and the travel was not taken as part of the employee’s employment or at the direction of the employee’s employer. Here is the link to EO 202.45 which provides further information. https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/EO202.45.pdf

If anyone has travel plans which include traveling to the restricted states identified, please reach out to Human Resources for further guidance of for questions.