Alaska, Hawaii, and Florida have all announced mandatory quarantines for certain arriving passengers and they are not messing around. For violating these quarantine orders, some states are stating that they will have jail sentences up to one year.
Florida has the most lenient quarantine policy.
It is only directed at flying passengers arriving from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
The reason that these states are targeted is that a lot of people from those states head down to Florida during the winter months and so Florida is a natural retreat location for many.
Because things are so precarious in those states, a lot of people have been flocking down to Florida to get away from everything and so we have seen the quarantine implemented.
The quarantine is a mandatory 14 day period and those who self-quarantine are responsible for the costs of things like transportation, food, lodging and medical care.
Alaska and Hawaii have more stringent quarantine policies.
Any passenger, regardless of their departing location, who arrives by airplane in these states will be forced to quarantine for 14 days.
As soon as they arrive to the airport they must show authorities where they will be staying whether that be a residence, hotel, or some other type of lodging. They will then be required to isolate themselves there and are only allowed to leave for certain urgent medical needs.
So this sounds like it is a much more stringent requirement than the lockdowns that we are seeing which allow people to go outside for a walk or head to the store.
It sounds like in this case the only permission you have to leave the place you are staying at is if you have some type of urgent medical need.
Also, they are not allowed to have any visitors unless the visitor is a medical professional.
(There are some exceptions for certain types of workers who have approval from the state.)
You might be wondering what happens if you violate the orders?
Well, in Alaska you could face a fine up to $25,000 or even one year in jail.
In Hawaii, you could face a fine up to $5,000 and one year in jail.
And in Florida you would be looking at a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by a 60 day jail sentence and up to a $500 fine.
These measures are pretty extreme especially in Alaska and Hawaii but they are all about flattening the curve.
In addition to Florida, Alaska and Hawaii would be prime destinations for many people looking to escape the chaos in mainland right now. So I can see why those states are worried about an influx of people coming in and potentially spreading disease.
Daniel Gillaspia is the Founder of UponArriving.com and the credit card app, WalletFlo. He is a former attorney turned travel expert covering destinations along with TSA, airline, and hotel policies. Since 2014, his content has been featured in publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, and CNBC. Read my bio.
