Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Escape From New York? Not So Fast, Plead Neighboring Areas

By

Sophia Chang

Published Mar 28, 2020

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Rhode Island Air National Guard Sgt. William Randall, left, and Westerly police officer Howard Mills talk with a resident with a New York license plate as they look for New Yorkers to inform them of self quarantine orders, in Westerly, R.I. States are pulling back the welcome mat for travelers from the New York area, which is the epicenter of the country's coronavirus outbreak, and some say at least one state's measures are unconstitutional. Gov. Gina Raimondo ratcheted up the measures announcing she ordered the state National Guard to go door-to-door in coastal communities starting this weekend to find out whether any of the home's residents have recently arrived from New York and inform them of the quarantine order

 

David Goldman/AP/Shutterstock

By

Sophia Chang

Published Mar 28, 2020

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Some New York City residents have been fleeing the area as the spread of COVID-19 continues; the state is currently the epicenter of cases in the U.S., and the epicenter of the epicenter is in the city. But residents of other towns and states are concerned about those headed their way.

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo has deployed the National Guard and state police to hunt down New Yorkers who have entered the state and demand they immediately quarantine themselves for 14 days.

"What is constitutional in one scenario is different than in another. This is pinpointed, this is targeted, this is a state of emergency, this is limited in time, and it’s going to be enforced in a respectful way," she said at a press conference Friday of the new policy. "And it’s a public health necessity."

"That’s a law," she added. "That’s an order. It comes with penalties. It’s not a suggestion."

The National Guard will be stationed at "bus stops & at the train station to gather contact information from travelers and inform them of the quarantine. State Police will help us inform those who travel by car," Raimondo tweeted.

Vehicles with New York plates will be tracked door-to-door in Rhode Island's wealthy coastal enclaves, she added.

Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed surprise at Raimondo's policy, wondering at his Saturday press briefing if this was "sensationalist" news.

ABC News reports that Rhode Island has more than 200 confirmed cases. New York state now has 52,318 cases, Cuomo said Saturday.

It's not the first time officials have pleaded New Yorkers to stay home — officials from the Jersey Shore to Cape Cod to the Catskills and the East End of Long Island have said the influx of city folks heading to vacation homes and rentals will not only spread the virus in those areas, but also overwhelm their infrastructure.

"We appreciate all of our second homeowners and our year-round community. But when you have a constant influx of new people from a hotspot in the New York metropolitan area, it's harder to protect the people who are already here," said Jay Schneiderman, the supervisor of Southampton Town on Long Island, in a phone interview with Gothamist on Saturday.

He added that Southampton was seeing triple the normal volume of occupancy compared to March 2019, a jump which the East End towns and hamlets are not prepared to handle.

The strain affects everything from the extra demand for supplies and groceries, to increasing police staff needed to enforce state mandates on quarantining and social distancing, to ramping up sanitation services for the additional garbage generated, he said. The town has seen about 269 confirmed cases, a number he expects to increase.

"You know, it just sort of prolongs how long it will take to get through this," Schneiderman said. "We are used to a surge of population. But we have to kind to gear up for it, prepare for it. What we've seen is a sudden surge in population. Very, very rapid. In March where most of the summer homes are empty, now most of these homes are occupied."

"We're not trying to say, 'Don't come here.' We get that some people, you know, they have summer homes, they have the right to use those properties. But we're concerned about unnecessary uses and frequent travel," he added.

President Donald Trump has also mentioned quarantining the tri-state area in some fashion. On Saturday, he tweeted "I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing “hot spots,” New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly." He has offered no further details.

Earlier this week we asked epidemiologist Stephen Morse about those fleeing NYC. "We’re seeing a lot of flight from the city, especially among those who can afford to go to, say, the Hamptons," he said. "I’m not sure what the benefit is, perhaps it’s largely psychological. We’ve seen it in this pandemic, and throughout history ... People see infection around them, and hope to escape it by fleeing. Instead, they may already be infected and are just bringing it to another place, perhaps even introducing it there." He added that, "if I thought I might get sick, I’d rather be somewhere near a good hospital."

Tagged

COVID-19

coronavirus

Sophia Chang

Sophia Chang is a former WNYC and Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail

Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001

By

Michael Sol Warren

Published Oct 25, 2026 at 10:25 a.m. ET

Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups

New data shows suicide taking an outsize toll among Latino New Yorkers, even as overall deaths fell.

By

Jill Webb

News

Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups

New data shows suicide taking an outsize toll among Latino New Yorkers, even as overall deaths fell.

By

Jill Webb

Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor

By

Samuel King

NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims

By

Arya Sundaram

Chinatown residents file lawsuit against after-hours construction on new 'mega jail'

By

Arya Sundaram

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .