New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Wednesday that checkpoints will be set up to catch travelers to the city who do not observe quarantine rules, the New York Post reports.
Anyone traveling from 35 states with a high-risk of infection or from Puerto Rico must self-quarantine for at least 14 days after entering the city. Random checkpoints will be established at major bridge and tunnel locations, and anyone who breaks quarantine faces fines of up to $10,000.
“The idea is we don’t want to penalize people,” de Blasio said during his regularly scheduled press briefing. “We want to educate them; we want to make sure they’re following the rules.”
He also said that “The important thing is the checkpoints are going to send a very important message that this quarantine law is serious.”
New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito added that the checkpoints will be “very visible,” and that “The only way to have an effective checkpoint is having a random component to it. Let’s say it’s every six vehicles or every eight vehicles.”
Fucito said, “Compliance with the quarantine is our objective.”
The mayor said, “Having people see that these checkpoints are starting to happen around the city is going to send a powerful message. If we think it’s an important tool … we might keep expanding it.”
“We’ve got to make clear to people there are consequences,” he added.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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