Travelers from risky states visiting NY, NJ & CT must quarantine

Here we go again. Making ridiculous requirements to stop people from getting COVID-19 the way we did in the beginning.

I get it. We have flattened the curve here in New Jersey and we’ve done a really good job. But now the announcement has been made that visitors from high-risk states other than our little Three Musketeers of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are going to have to self quarantine. So if you’re expecting visitors from any of these states — Alabama, North and South Carolina, Arizona, Washington, Texas, Utah or Arkansas — you better warn them that there might be some trouble on the border.

According to an article on marketwatch.com, the criterion for being considered a high-risk state is having an infection rate of 10 per 100,000, or 10% of the population (on a seven-day rolling average). As of Wednesday, it’s those eight states mentioned above that fit the profile.

Now let’s assume you have relatives from one of those states. They arrive at Newark Airport. Is someone going to take the name and the address of where they’ll be staying? Is someone going to watch where they’re going and make sure they don’t leave the premises? Is it actually possible to enforce this and even more importantly, is it actually necessary?

The idea that we can travel freely within these United States is guaranteed to us in the Constitution. You should be very afraid of the government monitoring where you go, and where you stay. I understand that in the beginning of this pandemic it all seemed like the world was coming to an end. That the death rate would be high. That we would see destruction and death all around us. But the fact is, it has not turned out that way. This is fear mongering and hysteria. And watching people and monitoring them would be unconstitutional.

So, isn’t this a silly rule to have when we know it really cannot be enforced? Just more of a false sense of security that New Jerseyans will likely fall for.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.