As of Tuesday, July 21, more than half of America can’t visit New York State without first quarantining themselves.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, preferring to err on the side of caution, added 10 more states to the list on Tuesday whose coronavirus numbers have risen and whose residents can’t visit anywhere in New York without quarantining for 14 days.
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Alaska, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Virginia, Washington were added to the travel order, which was first issued last month, bringing the total to 31 states in the union whose residents must spend their first two weeks in New York under wraps.
Take away New York, and only people from 18 states are allowed to visit without first having to undergo quarantine.
Minnesota was removed from the original list, which still currently includes Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
It’s a major blow for tourism in New York just as the state reached Phase 4 of its reopening plan, where most businesses and restaurants – and many attractions, such as the observation deck of New York City’s iconic Empire State Building – are now open.
According to Cuomo’s office, which uses the firm Tourism Economics, nearly 253 million visitors traveled to New York State in 2018, the last year figures were available. That generated an economic impact of $114.8 billion – exceeding $100 billion for the fifth straight year – while visitors generated an all-time high of $71.8 billion in direct spending.
Tourism was also responsible for $8.9 billion in state and local tax revenue and supports 957,800 jobs – the third-largest private sector employer in the state.
While everyone thinks immediately of New York City when thinking New York tourism, the state has myriad destinations for visitors, including the Hudson Valley region just north of the city, featuring the home of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt; Cooperstown, considered the birthplace of baseball and home to the Baseball Hall of Fame; the Finger Lakes region; Niagara Falls; and so much more.