Gov. Ned Lamont’s Executive Order No. 9S, signed Dec. 18, requires that anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state or territory, other than New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, or from a country other than the United States, is directed to self-quarantine for a 10-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or country.
For additional guidance on international travel, see the COVID-19 Travel Recommendations section of the CDC’s website.
Travelers entering Connecticut from one of the impacted states or countries also must complete and submit a Travel Health Form on arrival. Those who fail to submit the form or self-quarantine could be fined up to $500.
Q: How is this going to be enforced?
A: Failure to self-quarantine or to complete the Travel Health Form may result in a civil penalty of $500 for each violation.
Q: What is an affected state?
A: An affected state is a state or territory, other than New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island.
Q: Why are New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island exempted from the list of affected states?
A: Given the interconnected nature of the region and mode of transport between the states, New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are exempted from the list of affected states and therefore not subject to the requirements to self-quarantine and complete a Travel Health Form.
That said, residents of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island are urged to avoid unnecessary or non-essential travel between states at this time.
Q: What is an affected country?
A: An affected country is a country other than United States.
Q: To whom does the Connecticut Travel Advisory apply?
A: The requirement to self-quarantine and complete the Travel Health Form is applicable to any traveler who has spent 24 hours or longer in an affected state or an affected country within 10 days prior to arriving in Connecticut but does not include an individual remaining in Connecticut for less than 24 hours.
These requirements are also applicable to Connecticut residents who are returning from a visit to an affected state or an affected country.
Q: Does the Connecticut Travel Advisory apply to affected travelers who are minors (i.e., under the age of 18)?
A: Yes, the Connecticut Travel Advisory applies to all affected travelers, including those who are minors.
Therefore, a minor (under age 18) who is an affected traveler is required to self-quarantine for a period of 10 days from the time they were last in the affected state or the affected country, unless such traveler qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to self-quarantine.
With respect to the Travel Health Form, any minor who is an affected traveler is required to individually complete and submit such form only when the minor is unaccompanied by an adult.
Q: What does self-quarantine mean?
A: Self-quarantine means to stay home or in your designated self-quarantine location, separate yourself from others, and monitor your health.
You should not enter any public places, including, but not limited to, restaurants, pools, meeting rooms, or gatherings, during the mandatory period of self-quarantine.
You may leave your designated self-quarantine location for medical visits, to obtain medication, or to shop for groceries.
A self-quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. The self-quarantine helps prevent spread of disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are infected with the virus without feeling symptoms.
Q: If I am traveling from an affected state or an affected country to Connecticut to seek or obtain medical treatment, am I required to self-quarantine when I arrive in Connecticut?
A: Yes, you are required to self-quarantine when you arrive in Connecticut from an affected state or an affected country if you were in such affected state or such affected country for 24 hours or longer within 10 days prior to arriving in Connecticut.
While you are required to self-quarantine, you may leave your designated self-quarantine location to go to your medical procedure or other medical appointment.
When you do leave your designated self-quarantine location and when in public after your mandatory self-quarantine period, you are required to wear a face covering when in public and when a six-foot distance from others is unavoidable, unless you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing one and you have written documentation that you are qualified for the exemption from a licensed medical provider, the Department of Developmental Services, or other state agency that provides or supports services for people with emotional, intellectual or physical disabilities, or a person authorized by any such agency.
Q: Are there any exemptions for essential workers who have to travel for work?
A: Yes. Workers traveling from affected states or affected countries to Connecticut and from Connecticut to affected states or affected countries who work in critical infrastructure as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, including students in exempt healthcare professions, and any state, local, and federal officials and employees, are exempt from the self-quarantine requirement when such travel is work-related.
Such essential workers are still required to complete the Travel Health Form.
Please note that if the essential worker travels from an affected state or affected country to Connecticut and from Connecticut to an affected state or affected country for work but spends less than 24 hours in Connecticut or in the affected state or affected country, respectively, then the essential worker is not an affected traveler and the Connecticut Travel Advisory does not apply to them.
Q: If I am an essential worker who visited an affected state or an affected country on vacation, am I required to self-quarantine upon my return to Connecticut?
A: Yes, essential workers who travel to Connecticut from an affected state or an affected country or from Connecticut to an affected state or an affected country for vacation or other non-work related reasons are required to self-quarantine and complete the Travel Health Form.
Q: How long is the self-quarantine?
A: The Connecticut Travel Advisory requires visitors to Connecticut from affected states or affected countries to self-quarantine for a period of 10 days from the time they were last in the affected state or the affected country.
If you board a plane in an affected state or an affected country today, and land in Connecticut today, your 10 days begins today.
If you are in Connecticut for a period less than (10 days, you should plan to be in self-quarantine throughout your visit.
If you left an affected state or country and spent time in non-affected states or countries prior to arriving in Connecticut, you start counting your 10 day period from the time you left the affected state or country.
Consequently, if only five of those 10 days are spent in Connecticut, you will need to self-quarantine in Connecticut for those five days.
Q: If I am coming to Connecticut to a hotel or bed and breakfast, can I self-quarantine there?
A: Yes. Travelers are required to self-quarantine at their home, or a hotel or other temporary lodging.
Q: Does the self-quarantine requirement also extend to passengers flying from non-affected states to countries to Connecticut on flights with layovers in affected states or countries before arriving in Connecticut?
A: No. The requirement to self-quarantine does not apply to travelers who have a layover in an affected state or country, provided the layover is for less than 24 hours.
If you spend 24 hours or longer in the affected state or country, you must self-quarantine when you arrive in Connecticut.
Q: If an affected traveler who is required to self-quarantine stays at my house, am I and my family, who have not been traveling, also required to self-quarantine?
A: No, you and your family are not required to self-quarantine. However, all usual COVID-19 precautions should be undertaken.
Q: Are minor children traveling to Connecticut from an affected state or country due to child custody /visitation obligations considered affected travelers?
A: Yes, they are affected travelers if they were in an affected state or country for 24 hours or longer within 10 days prior to arriving in Connecticut.
As such, they are required to comply with the requirements of the Connecticut Travel Advisory, which means they must self-quarantine unless they fall under the exemptions below.
Q: Can travelers be tested for COVID-19 instead of self-quarantine?
A: Yes, an affected traveler is exempt from the self-quarantine requirement if they (1) have had a test for COVID-19 in the 72 hours prior to arrival in Connecticut or at any time following arrival in Connecticut; (2) the result of such COVID-19 test is negative; and (3) they provided written proof of such negative test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to 860.326.0529.
All test results submitted to DPH are confidential.
All COVID-19 tests, other than COVID-19 antibody tests, are acceptable for this testing option.
If a test was obtained in the 72 hours prior to arrival in Connecticut, or following arrival in Connecticut, and such affected traveler has not yet received their test results, such traveler shall remain in self-quarantine in Connecticut until a negative test result is submitted to the commissioner.
If the test result is positive and the traveler is asymptomatic, they shall self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test; if symptomatic, they should seek medical assistance.
Travelers who test positive for COVID-19 prior to traveling to Connecticut should delay such travel and consult with a medical professional.
All affected travelers are required to complete the Travel Health Form.
Q: What tests are acceptable for the testing option?
A: All COVID-19 tests, other than COVID-19 antibody tests, are acceptable for the testing option.
Q: What if I am a Connecticut resident and am visiting an affected state or country for less than 72 hours, may I be tested in Connecticut prior to visiting the affected state or country if I obtain the test 72 hours prior to my subsequent return to Connecticut?
A: No, you must have the test for COVID-19 either while you are in the affected state or country, as long as the test is obtained in the 72 hours prior to your arrival in Connecticut, or following your arrival in Connecticut.
If the test was obtained in the 72 hours prior to your arrival in Connecticut, or following your arrival in Connecticut, and you have not yet received your test results when you return to Connecticut, you shall remain in self-quarantine in Connecticut until a negative test result is submitted to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to 860.326.0529.
All test results submitted to DPH are confidential.
Q: If I have already tested positive for COVID-19 and have recovered, do I need to self-quarantine upon my arrival to Connecticut?
A: A person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days prior to their arrival in Connecticut and who has clinically recovered, or who has not been symptomatic for a period of 10 days since symptom onset or such positive test if not symptomatic, is not required to self-quarantine upon their arrival to Connecticut, provided such person submits, prior to or immediately upon arrival in Connecticut, written proof of such positive test result to the Commissioner of Public Health via email to DPH.COVID-Travel@ct.gov or via facsimile to 860.326.0529.
All test results submitted to DPH are confidential.
All COVID-19 tests, other than COVID-19 antibody tests, are acceptable for this testing option.
Such person is still required to complete a Travel Health Form.
A person who has had a positive test result for COVID-19 more than 90 days prior to arriving in Connecticut is required to self-quarantine and complete a Travel Health Form.
Q: I am a foreign student arriving for college/university. Do I need to self-quarantine?
A: If you were in an affected country within 10 days prior to arriving in Connecticut, then you are required to self-quarantine upon your arrival to Connecticut, unless you qualify for an exemption from the requirement to self-quarantine.
Affected countries are countries other than the United States.
You should also refer to your college or university’s requirements for returning to campus and the COVID-19 Travel Recommendations section of the CDC’s website.
Q: May I complete the Travel Health Form after I have arrived in Connecticut?
A: You are required to complete the Travel Health Form prior to or no later than upon the day of your arrival in Connecticut.
Q: Are minors required to complete the Travel Health Form?
A: Any minor who is an affected traveler is required to individually complete and submit a Travel Health Form only when such minor is unaccompanied by an adult.
Q: Should non-essential travel to affected states and countries be avoided?
A: Yes. Because of the risk of contracting infection, and because of the need to self-quarantine on return, Connecticut residents are urged to avoid travel to affected states and countries whenever possible.
Q: If I receive a notice of civil penalty, is there any way I can dispute or appeal the penalty?
A: Any person who receives a notice of civil penalty may, within 10 business days of the date of the notice of civil penalty, request a hearing before the Commissioner of Public Health to contest the penalty.
Such hearing, if requested, will be held within 30 business days of the commissioner’s receipt of the request.
Q: May I be subject to legal ramifications other than civil penalties if I do not self-quarantine or complete the Travel Health Form?
A: Yes, you may be subject to any existing penalties that apply to violations of executive orders, including monetary penalties and possible imprisonment.
Q: How does it affect Connecticut residents if a state bordering Connecticut is an affected state?
A: Any Connecticut resident traveling to an adjacent state that is an affected state who stays there for 24 hours or longer must self-quarantine for 10 days when they arrive back in Connecticut.
If their visit to the neighboring affected state is less than 24 hours, the requirement to self-quarantine does not apply.
Q: If I am a Connecticut resident who must go to an adjacent affected state for work, how does this impact me?
A: Any Connecticut resident who needs to travel to an adjacent affected state for work is not subject to the self-quarantine requirement as long as their time in the adjacent affected state is less than 24 hours.
Any Connecticut resident who qualifies as an essential worker (e.g., as designated by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) going to the bordering affected state for work-related travel is also not subject to the self-quarantine requirement.
Any Connecticut resident who commutes to an adjacent affected state and is unable to telecommute, and will only be in the affected state for less than 24 hours, is strongly advised to limit all other contact in that state while there.
Employers in adjacent affected states can continue to expect employees who are Connecticut residents to come to work as needed, though telework options are preferable if possible.
Q: If I am a Connecticut resident who must go to an adjacent affected state for work, are there precautions I should take?
A: Yes. It is strongly encouraged that you telework if appropriate and allowed by your employer.
Further, you should limit your activities while in that state to your workplace only and avoid other public places and events, if possible.
Q: Should I cancel my travel plans to an adjacent affected state? What if I just want to go to the beach for a day and not stay overnight?
A: Connecticut residents are strongly encouraged to avoid travel to affected states.
While traveling to the beach for less than a day in an adjacent affected state does not trigger the self-quarantine requirement, it is recommended that you not travel to that state during any period when COVID-19 infections are high.
Q: What does this mean for anyone traveling from an adjacent affected state to Connecticut?
A: Any travelers who have spent 24 hours or longer in an adjacent affected state and plan on spending 24 hours or longer in Connecticut must fill out the Travel Health Form and self-quarantine for 10 days while in Connecticut or for the duration of their stay if shorter, unless such traveler qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to self-quarantine.
Q: If I live in an adjacent affected state but work in Connecticut, can I still go to work?
A: Yes. The self-quarantine requirement does not apply to residents of adjacent affected states who must come into Connecticut for work, so long as their stay in Connecticut is less than 24 hours.
If a resident of an adjacent affected state travels to Connecticut and spends 24 hours or longer in Connecticut, the resident is an affected traveler and is required to complete the Travel Health Form and self-quarantine for a period of 10 days from the time of last contact with such affected state, for any portion of such 10 day period they spend in Connecticut, or for the duration of such person’s stay in Connecticut, whichever is shorter, unless the person qualifies for an exemption from the requirement to self-quarantine.
Connecticut employers can continue to expect any employees from adjacent affected states to come to work as needed, though telework options are preferred if possible.
Any resident from an adjacent affected state who is unable to telecommute and is spending less than 24 hours in Connecticut is also strongly encouraged to limit all contacts while in Connecticut.
Connecticut employers with employees who are residents of adjacent affected states should make every effort to provide telework options or otherwise limit employee time in Connecticut.
