Connecticut starting to fine travelers who don’t quarantine

Chris Lisinski
State House News Service

One of Massachusetts’s neighbors to the south will subject visitors from nearly two dozen states to fines up to $1,000 if they do not self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday that travelers from 22 states with high rates of COVID infection must complete an online form before visiting Connecticut and those who fail to do so or to remain quarantined upon arrival will be subject to a $2,000 fine, according to an NBC Connecticut report. The new enforcement provision is a reversal for Lamont, who in June asked travelers from hotspots to quarantine but said it was voluntary, according to the Hartford Courant.

In Massachusetts, travelers from most states are also instructed to self-isolate for two weeks upon arrival under a Baker administration order, but they are not subject to fines. Legislation filed by Reps. Jon Santiago and Mindy Domb and Sen. Harriette Chandler would impose a penalty of up to $1,000 for anyone who violates mandatory self-quarantine after travel.