What to Know

The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut implemented a joint quarantine restriction in late June on travelers from viral hotspot states; travelers from certain states must self-isolate for 14 days

Alaska and Delaware were added to the list of tri-state quarantine states Tuesday; the number of restricted areas stands at 33 states, plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

New York has maintained a low infection rate despite its phased regional reopenings; Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered hotels Tuesday to require hotspot travelers to fill out contact forms before they receive their rooms

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio doubled down on his commitment to protect the five boroughs from travel-linked virus surges Tuesday, ordering hotels and short-term rentals to require travelers complete quarantine forms before they get access to rooms. Fines will be issued starting this week for failure to comply.

De Blasio also urged New Yorkers to avoid hotspot state travel if they can. If not, they must quarantine for 14 days upon return to the Big Apple or "face consequences." The mayor's hotel order applies to travelers from the rolling list of quarantine-restricted states, which currently stands at 33 states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. States land on the list if they have COVID test positivity rates that hit or exceed 10 percent over a seven-day rolling period; Alaska and Delaware were added to the restricted list Tuesday. No areas were removed.

The goal is to prevent the record-COVID surges that swept much of the nation last month from triggering a viral resurgence in New York and New Jersey, which long were the two hardest-hit states by the pandemic and remain the most impacted in terms of confirmed COVID fatalities. Health officials say 15 to 20 percent of New York City's 230,000-plus diagnosed COVID cases to date have stemmed from recent travel outside of the five boroughs. They want to limit that kind of spread.