The state has jettisoned its travel advisory list, replacing it with a testing regimen to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in New York.

The new protocol goes into effect on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

As New York State remains among the states with the lowest infection rate, the list of states on the advisory — travelers coming from those states to New York had to quarantine for two weeks — became too long, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a conference call with reporters on Saturday.

“We had a list and we started to add states to the list when they hit certain metrics,” said Cuomo. “The list started small and then the list got longer and longer and longer and longer. At one point, it was no longer a list; it was almost all-inclusive.”

So, he said, global health experts were consulted to come up with a new policy.

“And all the experts suggest we shift to a testing policy ... There will be no quarantine list, there will be no metrics. There will be one rule that applies across the country,” Cuomo said.

He went on, “And the rule is this: If you are coming to the state of New York, within three days of arriving in New York, you must have tested negative and have proof of a test within three days upon your arrival in New York that says you’re negative. Once you arrive in New York, you must quarantine for three days and then can take a test on the fourth day and, if the test on the fourth day says you are negative, then God bless, you’re released from quarantine.

“If the test says you’re positive, then you remain in quarantine. If you choose not to get tested, then you remain in quarantine for the 14-day period.”

Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York will continue to be exempt from the travel advisory; however, covered travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Essential workers will continue to be exempt as well.

Travelers visiting other states for less than 24 hours do not need a test before leaving the other states and do not need to quarantine on arrival in New York State. However, those travelers must fill out the traveler information form when they arrive in New York and must take a COVID-19 diagnostic test four days after arriving back in New York State.

Local health departments will validate tests, if necessary, and, if a test comes back positive, will issue isolation orders and initiate contact tracing. The local health department must make contact with the state the traveler came from, to ensure contact tracing proceeds there as well.

“It’s the sea of division and the sea of COVID chaos,” said Cuomo to the reporters on Saturday’s conference call. “The ship of state is sailing well within that sea. We’re doing very well. The world, however, is in trouble.”

Low rate

Cuomo also reported, as he had previously, that, according to Johns Hopkins, New York has the third lowest positivity rate in the nation, following Maine and Vermont, which he pointed out were more rural.

He said New York’s micro-cluster strategy is working well. The zones with clusters — where more testing is done and restrictions are imposed — had a positivity rate of  3.01 percent based on Friday’s test results; statewide, the positivity rate was 1.49 percent.

“I believe we got their attention in the red zones and the increased enforcement got their attention and the restrictions got their attention — they were displeased with me, but the infection rate came down and I believe lives will be saved and therefore I believe I did my job,” said Cuomo. “I also believe these micro-cluster zones will come and go through the fall.”

The Capital Region, of which Albany County is a part, was the only one of the state’s 10 regions to have a positivity rate below the targeted 1 percent, based on Friday’s test results. The Capital Region had a rate of 0.9 percent.

Vaccine plan

Finally, Cuomo returned to his criticism of the White House plan for distribution of a vaccine once it is available.

“It’s classic for this administration to pay private companies to do it,” he said, and outlined what he sees as two problems with that.

“Number one, it doesn’t allow state governments any resources to expedite the distribution or make sure that it’s done fairly or equitably. A state can’t facilitate distribution in poorer communities, in racially impacted communities, in communities that are suffering from health disparities …

“Number two is: It’s going to significantly slow the process and I think it could take at least a year to vaccinate the population with their distribution mechanism. That they’ll have to live with COVID through 2021 is more than they have a right to ask from the American people, especially since they created the crisis in the first place and have learned nothing since it started.”