NEW YORK (AP) - New York City will send sheriff's deputies to the homes or hotel rooms of all travelers coming from the United Kingdom to ensure they comply with the city's two-week COVID-19 quarantine requirement, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
De Blasio announced the enforcement action amid concern about a new, fast-spreading strain of the virus detected in the U.K. Airlines flying from London to New York agreed this week to test passengers before they board.
All travelers to New York, regardless of where they're arriving from, are required to fill out forms with contact information and where they'll be staying. They will then be sent a quarantine order by certified mail, de Blasio said.
People who fail to comply will face a fine of $1,000 per day, de Blasio said.
"We cannot take chances with anyone who travels, particularly folks traveling in from the U.K.," de Blasio said.
"We don't want to penalize people. Everyone's been through hell this year," he added. "We don't want to, but if you don't follow quarantine you're endangering everyone else in the city, right as we're fighting the second wave."
Sheriff's deputies have been key to New York City's quarantine and social distancing enforcement, busting up large gatherings, shutting down noncompliant restaurants and bars and stopping cars traveling from out of state.
Sheriff Joseph Fucito said deputies visiting travelers from the U.K. will not only be enforcing compliance, but also telling them about city services available to help them through quarantine. The mayor's office, for example, can help with housing and food, Fucito said.
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RARE ALLERGIC REACTION
A New York City health care worker suffered a rare but serious allergic reaction after receiving the coronavirus vaccine, the city's health department said Wednesday.
Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said the worker, who was not publicly identified, has been treated and is recovering in stable condition.
Officials said it was the first significant adverse reaction to the Pfizer vaccine out of more than 30,000 doses administered in the city so far. It's one of several cases of allergic reactions to the vaccine around the world.
Guidelines for the vaccine include making sure that people who get it are monitored immediately after it's administered for signs of allergic reactions.
Chokshi said adverse reactions to the vaccine are exceedingly uncommon. People who have food or seasonal allergies shouldn't be afraid to get the vaccine, he said, but anyone who's had an allergic reaction to a past vaccine should talk with their doctor first.
"Vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine are very safe in general," Chokshi said. "They do have side effects, and occasionally those side effects include some uncommon allergic reactions."
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VIRUS DATA
About 89,000 New Yorkers have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
That includes 22,000 vaccines administered in 90 of the state's roughly 600 nursing homes since Monday, when vaccinations began there.
Meanwhile, the state's latest data shows the number of new COVID-19 cases has continued to flatten and the increase in hospitalizations has slowed.
But the governor said he is worried about ongoing spikes in parts of upstate New York, including the Finger Lakes and Mohawk Valley regions.
New York is one of 19 states reporting little change in new COVID-19 cases, according to The COVID Tracking Project. New York has averaged nearly 10,600 new cases over the past seven days, up 4% from seven days ago and 8% from 14 days ago.
Hospitalizations in New York rose to 6,864 patients as of Tuesday, though the uptick in patients has slowed over the past week.
New York saw a surge in hospitalizations from mid-November to mid-December. The number of new patients doubled between Oct. 31 and Nov. 18 to 2,276, and doubled again by Dec. 6 to 4,602.
Still, hospitals have admitted nearly 16,000 new COVID-19 patients this month - more than the months of July through November combined.
And New York hospitals and nursing homes have reported 2,200 deaths so far in December and nearly 1,000 in November. The state recorded nearly 1,900 COVID-19 deaths from June through October.