By Paul Hughes, Republican-American
HARTFORD — Gov. Ned Lamont is now adding the threat of a $1,000 fine to get out-of-state visitors to comply with the state’s coronavirus travel advisory.
Lamont announced on Monday that he will be issuing an updated executive order targeting travelers from states with high coronavirus infection rates who ignore the directive to self-quarantine upon arrival in Connecticut.
The focus will remain largely on air travelers, but the governor said all visitors will be subject to the reporting and quarantine requirements, including motorists who drive to Connecticut.
“Enforcement of that will evolve over time, but we wanted to send a message loud and clear,” Lamont said. “As you look at the incredible infection rates in other parts of the country, we know that COVID came to this part of the country by airplane, and we don’t want it to come by airplane again. So, we are going to be strict about how we do that going forward.”
He said the updated order will include a fine of $1,000 for anyone who refuses to fill out a reporting form, or quarantine themselves.
“When we have to impose that fine we’ll see. No plans on that right now,” he said. “At least people will know there is a possibility, and there could be some penalties, so they’ll be serious about taking the quarantine seriously.”
In June, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey imposed a tri-state travel advisory applies to travelers from states that either have a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a positivity rate higher than 10% over a rolling seven-day average. At this time, 22 states are on the watch list
The tri-state advisory generally directs travelers from states that have high rates of coronavirus to self-quarantine for 14 days.
Lamont said the updated order will require all travelers to Connecticut to fill out a form attesting that they will comply with the travel advisory, reporting where they will be staying, explaining how they will be quarantining, and identifying all their traveling companions.
The form will be available online, and state officials will be notifying airlines, hotels, travel agents and rental car companies of the requirement to fill it out if someone is traveling from a listed state, he said.
Teams from the Department of Public Health will be dispatched to Bradley International Airport to check that airline passengers have a completed form, Lamont said.
He said the move to step up enforcement is a result of the surge in infection rates across the country.
He said officials from the White House Coronavirus Task Force advised governors in a conference call Monday that there have been flare ups in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia on the East Coast.
