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Gov. Cuomo orders all travelers to New York to get tested for coronavirus

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 23: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during the daily media briefing at the Office of the Governor of the State of New York on July 23, 2020 in New York City. The Governor said the state liquor authority has suspended 27 bar and restaurant alcohol licenses for violations of social distancing rules as public officials try to keep the coronavirus outbreak under control. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York announced Saturday some of the nation’s strictest restrictions for anyone traveling to his state.

To help slow the spread of the virus, Cuomo wants everyone who comes to New York to show proof of a recent negative coronavirus test — and then be tested again following a 3-day quarantine, according to NYUp.com.


Cuomo said enforcement of the travel restrictions will be done at the local level by health departments, according to a tweet from reporter Nick Reisman.

He added the new rule does not apply to commuters who come in-and-out daily for business.

“We continue to take strong action to respond to outbreaks and to stop the spread,” Cuomo wrote on Twitter.

This would replace a 14-day quarantine that was in place for travelers from certain states.

The news comes as the United States hit a new record mark Friday recording 98,859 coronavirus cases in a single day, according to statistics from the New York Times.

Over the past two weeks, more than 76,000 new virus cases have been reported daily in the U.S. on average, up from about 54,000 in mid-October, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The country is now in its highest case peak since the pandemic began with nearly two dozen states reporting their worst week for cases.

Of course, the situation has been far worse in New York, which has more COVID-19 deaths than any other state. However, cases have increased 45% over the last 14 days.

As of Saturday morning, there were 510,171 cases and 33,143 deaths in New York since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the Times.