Cuomo Floats Quarantine for People Entering N.Y. From Florida

(Bloomberg) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he is considering requiring people who visit from Florida to quarantine for 14 days.

Covid-19 cases have been climbing in Florida and several other U.S. states, while New York is on the decline. In March, when New York cases were surging, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered self-quarantines of visiting New Yorkers.

Now, the tables may turn.

“I have experts who have advised me to do that,” Cuomo said. “I’m considering it now.”

Efforts to reach the DeSantis administration for comment weren’t immediately successful.

Cuomo also said he is signing an executive order that will allow the state to immediately suspend the liquor license or shut down any bar or restaurant that violates reopening rules.

Another order will make bars responsible for the sidewalk areas immediately in front of their locations, Cuomo said Thursday at a press briefing. The moves come as New York City prepares for phase two of reopening Monday -- and after reports of people milling around restaurants last weekend in parts of the city.

“I need local governments to do their part,” Cuomo said. “The state cannot do enforcement on these local issues all across the state. I would -- we don’t have enough people.”

New York conducted 68,541 coronavirus tests on Wednesday, of which only 618, or a new low of about 0.9%, were positive, Cuomo said. New York City’s infection rate fell to 1% on June 17 from 1.4% on June 13, according to Cuomo.

One area of concern was central New York, which had the the highest increase, to 3% from 0.6%, on June 13. Cuomo said contact tracers found a cluster of 34 cases associated with an apple processing plant.

“It’s bad news, but it’s also good news,” Cuomo said. “That’s the way this is supposed to work. You see an increase in the numbers, you trace the increase.”

There were 1,358 hospitalizations, and 29 fatalities on June 17, he said.

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