Tag: quarantine

Stars attending VMAs from out of state will not be subject to New York quarantine mandate

Stars will have the privilege of skipping out on New York’s 14-day quarantine mandate when they visit for the MTV Video Music Awards next week.

The awards, set for Aug. 30, will take on a different format this year as performances will be held outdoors with little to no audiences due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

As the event usually serves as a who’s who of the music biz, many celebrities will be in attendance, but will not be required to adhere to the 14-day quarantine rule put in place by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to the New York Post.

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Coronavirus: All New Zealand’s confirmed COVID-19 cases to be put in quarantine facilities from now on

All confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand will be placed quarantine facilities from now on.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced the change at a press conference on Thursday, moments after revealing there are 13 new cases of coronavirus linked to an outbreak in south Auckland.

The use of quarantine facilities marks a major departure from how positive cases were managed by health officials when New Zealand was last at level 3, as cases earlier in the year were told to simply self-isolate in their homes.

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New Zealand Says It Will Put All New COVID Infectees and Their Family Members in “Quarantine Facilities”

Authorities in New Zealand have said that they will put all new coronavirus infectees and their close family members in “quarantine facilities.”

The new measure was announced by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield during a press conference yesterday.

“All cases, confirmed cases, are to be managed in quarantine facilities,” said Bloomfield, adding that the move showed “how serious we are about limiting any risk of ongoing transmission – even in self-isolation and including to others in the household.”

“This will apply to any cases and also to close family members who might be at risk,” said Bloomfield.

In a separate video, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made it clear that anyone in the quarantine facility who refused to take a coronavirus test would simply be held there for at least 14 days.

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Over 350 cars stopped at random NYC checkpoints to enforce quarantine rules

New York officials have stopped 353 cars at entrances to the Big Apple to warn travelers of the mandatory two-week quarantine rule.

The stops were made from Wednesday through Friday at bridges and tunnels, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, which also said that 1,100 masks were distributed.

Cars were stopped randomly and occupants asked if they spent more than 24 hours during the previous 14 days in any state on New York’s restricted list.

Anyone who answered yes had to fill out a traveler health form.

The city says the stops are “quick and educational.”

Travelers who violate the quarantine rule could face up to $10,000 in fines. There are currently 35 states plus Puerto Rico on the list.

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New York City to install checkpoints to enforce quarantine for travelers

In addition to the state’s growing travel advisory listing states that are experiencing a seven-day infection rate of over 10 cases per 100,000 people, New York City will impose checkpoints at populous entry points to the city to ensure travelers into the city will comply with the state’s 14-day quarantine mandate. 

Reuters reports that city Mayor Bill DeBlasio (D) made the announcement on Wednesday, saying that visitors from the 35 states on New York’s travel advisory must follow quarantine orders to contain the spread of the virus.

“Travelers coming in from those states will be given information about the quarantine and will be reminded that it is required, not optional,” de Blasio told a news briefing. He noted that given specific circumstances, not following the quarantine order could result in a $10,000 fine.

These checkpoint locations will be installed at high-volume bridge and tunnels leading into New York City, beginning Wednesday.

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DC Mayor Exempts John Lewis Funeral Attendees From City’s Quarantine Restrictions

Regarding why attendees at Lewis’ funeral escaped the strictures of self-quarantine, Bowser Press Secretary Susana Castillo characterized the ceremony as an essential government activity, telling Just the News on Friday, “Government activity is essential, and the Capitol of the United States is exempt from the Mayor’s Order.”

The mayor’s office still deems the funerals of regular people non-essential activity, however. When asked whether attendees of non-government funerals in high-risk areas are still required to self-quarantine under the mayor’s order, Castillo responded simply, “Yes.”

Members of Congress are also exempt from Bowser’s recent edict mandating D.C. residents wear masks both in public indoor spaces and even outside if they “are likely to come into contact with another person, such as being within six feet of another person for more than a fleeting time[.]” Those who neglect to cover up expose themselves to the possibility of fines up to $1,000 per violation.

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Florida Keys couple jailed for refusing to quarantine

 Two residents of the Florida Keys have been jailed for failing to quarantine after testing positive for the new coronavirus.

Jose Interian, 24, and Yohana Gonzalez, 26, are facing charges of violating isolation rules for a quarantine and violating emergency management disaster preparedness rules, according to jail records. They were arrested Wednesday in Key West, officials said.

The Miami Herald reports Interian and Gonzalez had been ordered by the health department to quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, but neighbors said they were ignoring the order.

Someone videotaped the couple and gave it to Key West police, according to Greg Veliz, Key West’s city manager.

“There were complaints from the neighborhood of them continuing to be outside, going about normal life functions,” Veliz said.

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Couple under house arrest after testing positive for COVID-19

A Kentucky couple is under house arrest after one of them tested positive for coronavirus and refused to sign self-quarantine papers.

Elizabeth Linscott got tested for COVID-19 because she was planning to go visit her parents.

“My grandparents wanted to see me, too, so, just to make sure that, you know, if I tested negative, that they would be okay, everything would be fine,” Linscott said.

After testing positive but without showing any symptoms, Linscott said the health department contacted her, requesting she sign documents.

“I agreed to comply to call the Health Department if I was to go. I was to call the Health Department if I was to leave my house for any reason,” she said.

But, she chose not to sign.

“I had gotten a message from them, a text message that stated, because of your refusal to sign, this is going to be escalated, and law enforcement will be involved,” she said.

Later that week, the county sheriff greeted Linscott’s husband, Isaiah, at their front door.

“I open up the door, and there’s like eight different people, five different cars, and I’m like ‘what the heck’s going on?’ This guy’s in a suit with a mask. It’s the Health Department guy, and they have three papers for us. For me, her and my daughter,” he said.

The couple was ordered to wear ankle monitors. If they travel more than 200 feet, law enforcement will be notified.

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22 States Now on Tri-State Quarantine List as Cuomo Ups Ante With New NY Emergency Order

Four more states were added to the tri-state’s quarantine-restricted list Tuesday — New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio. Delaware came off, no longer meeting the criteria to be considered a viral hotspot under New York standards.

That brings the total number on the list to 22. In addition to the newcomers, the restricted states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Citing noncompliance with the existing quarantine advisory, Gov. Andrew Cuomo upped the ante with a new emergency health order in New York starting Tuesday. Travelers from those 22 hotspots landing at New York airports now must fill out a form that state officials will use to ensure they isolate for 14 days.

Failure to fill out the form, which asks for contact information, before leaving the airport could result in a $2,000 fine and mandatory quarantine. Airlines will provide the forms to passengers prior to or upon disembarking flights to New York. Enforcement teams will be stationed at airports statewide to meet arriving aircraft at gates and request proof of the form’s completion, Cuomo said.

Out-of-state travelers coming to New York by train, bus or car are required to fill the form out online, though it wasn’t immediately clear how compliance would be enforced.

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