Fearing coronavirus, states rolls out the unwelcome mat for out-of-state drivers

Drivers with out-of-state license plates are being pulled over as they enter Rhode Island, and if they plan to stay they’re told to self-quarantine for 14 days. They’re also told give their address in the Ocean State, so that law enforcement can check up on them to make sure they comply. This action mirrors steps being taken in other states, including Florida and Texas, as officials move to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Rhode Island originally had targeted New York drivers exclusively. New York state has 10s of thousands of confirmed coronavirus cases — the most of any state — while tiny Rhode Island to date has only a couple hundred, and some New Yorkers have vacation homes in Rhode Island’s coastal areas. After New York’s governor objected — and even threatened to sue — Rhode Island’s governor issued a new executive order this past Saturday, targeting all visitors coming in from out of state. Non-commercial vehicles are being pulled over on I-95 and several state highways to enforce the mandate.

Florida, too, has moved against drivers from New York and also from comparatively hard-hit Louisiana. Florida has announced a checkpoint on I-95 to net fleeing New Yorkers and one on I-10 for drivers coming from Louisiana. Again, inbound travelers are supposed to self-quarantine for 14 days. Florida had previously established similar rules for airline passengers on flights from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Within its own state, Florida’s Monroe County has closed the roads to the Keys, where visitors have been told to go home and new ones are blocked from entering — even those from within Florida.

In Texas, meanwhile, the governor on Sunday issued an executive order that targets vehicles driving in from Louisiana. Travelers are told to self-quarantine for two weeks. The same orders apply to travelers flying in from New Orleans, Miami and a host of other cities.

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