Travel Plans: New Yorkers' Pennsylvania Getaway Explained

As of November 2020, New Yorkers were allowed to travel to Pennsylvania but were required to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of entering the state. Those who could not obtain a test or refused to take one were mandated to quarantine for 14 days. However, residents returning home from work or receiving out-of-state medical treatment were exempt from this rule. As of January 2022, there is no requirement to quarantine when arriving in Pennsylvania, and inter-state travel is permitted with some restrictions.

No quarantine for Pennsylvania travellers

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced new guidelines for out-of-state travellers, which will be good news for New Yorkers wanting to visit Pennsylvania. The new rules mean that travellers from contiguous states will be exempt from the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Pennsylvania is one of the contiguous states, along with New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont.

The new rules, which came into effect on November 4, 2020, mean that travellers from these states are not subject to the quarantine guidance. However, travellers must still fill out the Traveler Health Form upon arrival in New York. Essential workers are also exempt from the quarantine requirements.

The quarantine criteria for travel state that all travellers entering New York from a non-contiguous state or a CDC level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice Country must quarantine for 14 days. For travellers outside of New York for more than 24 hours, they must obtain a test within 72 hours before arriving in New York and then quarantine for a minimum of three days. On day four, they can take a diagnostic test to exit quarantine.

The quarantine period has been reduced from 14 days to 10 or seven days, according to the revised guidance. This means that quarantine can end after day 10 without testing if the person has no symptoms, or after day seven if the person has no symptoms and has a negative test result from day five onwards. In both cases, the person must continue to monitor for symptoms until day 14.

The quarantine period is measured from the last close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Close contact includes spending 15 minutes or more within six feet of someone with COVID-19 within a 24-hour period, providing care for someone with COVID-19, having direct physical contact with a person with COVID-19, sharing utensils, or coming into contact with respiratory droplets.

Testing requirements for New York arrivals

As of 2020, there were specific testing requirements for people arriving in New York. All travellers entering New York from a non-contiguous state or US territory, or a CDC Level 2 or 3 Health Notice country, were required to complete a traveller health form. This included people passing through New York, even if they did not intend to stay.

In addition to the health form, travellers were also required to quarantine for 14 days or "test out" of quarantine. To test out of quarantine, travellers had to obtain a negative test within 72 hours before arrival in New York and then quarantine for a minimum of three days. On day four, they could take a second test, and if this was also negative, they could exit quarantine.

These requirements did not apply to travellers from contiguous states, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. However, travellers from these states were still required to fill out the traveller health form.

In December 2020, all airline passengers arriving in the US from the UK were required to provide a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.

As of May 2022, the US required vaccinated travellers to present a negative Covid test, taken within the previous 24 hours, upon arrival. Unvaccinated travellers were denied entry.

It is recommended to check the latest travel requirements and restrictions before travelling, as this information may have changed since these sources were published.

Pennsylvania public transport status

Pennsylvania has a comprehensive public transport system, with a variety of options for getting around the state. These include buses, trains, subways, light rail, paratransit, and ferries.

Bus

Bus services are provided by a number of companies and authorities, including Greyhound, Megabus, the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC), Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA). Bus travel is a good option for those on a budget, but it may not be the most straightforward way to get around, especially if you're starting from a rural area.

Train

Amtrak offers a convenient way to travel by train to and from Pennsylvania, with services connecting stations throughout the state to major East Coast cities. The Pennsylvanian train service is the most comprehensive, starting in Pittsburgh and stopping at over a dozen stations throughout the state, including Philadelphia, Lancaster, and Harrisburg, before ending at New York Penn Station. The Acela Express is a high-speed service connecting New York and Philadelphia in just under 1.5 hours. Other Amtrak trains connecting Pennsylvania with New York include the Northeast Regional, Keystone Service, and Vermonter. All of Amtrak's trains come with wifi, restrooms, and travel guides for your final destination.

Subway and Light Rail

The Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC) and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) also provide subway and light rail services, respectively.

Paratransit

Paratransit services are offered by Capital Area Transit (CAT), Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA), the Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAAC), and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA).

Ferry

Ferry services are also available in Pennsylvania, including the RiverLink Ferry operated by the Delaware River Port Authority, and the Millersburg Ferry operated by the Millersburg Ferry Boat Association.

Payment Methods and Fares

Payment methods vary by service but generally include cash, debit cards, and credit cards. Fares also vary depending on the service and distance travelled, with monthly passes and split payment options available from some providers. For example, the Capital Area Transit (CAT) offers monthly passes for $49, $70, and $875 for Zones 1, 2, and 3, respectively, while the Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) offers a monthly CATA OnePass for $59.

Pennsylvania mask mandate

As of September 2024, there are no statewide indoor mask requirements in Pennsylvania. However, the city of Philadelphia maintained its indoor mask mandate, even as the CDC relaxed its masking guidelines. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health said that it would review the CDC's new guidance, but that safety restrictions in the city are based on local conditions and months of data specific to Philadelphia. The indoor mask mandate in Philadelphia includes a requirement to wear masks in schools.

In March 2022, the CDC eased its mask guidance, recommending masks only in areas of "high" risk, with some exceptions. The CDC's new tool, the COVID-19 Community Levels guide, takes into account virus transmission levels, hospital capacity, and recent COVID-19 hospital admissions. At that time, only 15 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties were classified as having high COVID-19 community levels, where indoor masking was still recommended. These 15 counties had a combined population of about 830,000 people, or 6.5% of the state's total. Another 35 counties, with a population of about 8 million people (63% of the state), were in the medium classification, and the remaining 17 counties, with a population of 3.9 million (30% of Pennsylvania's population), were in the low COVID-19 community level.

Pennsylvania's COVID-19 case numbers

Pennsylvania has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases, with 1,579 new cases reported on a Tuesday in early April 2020, marking the most significant increase in a 24-hour period at the time. This surge followed seven consecutive days of similar reports, indicating a consistent rise in positive test results by at least 1,000 per day since March 31. The state's total number of cases had inched towards 170,000 by October 2020, with 1,380 additional cases reported on October 9, making it the highest single-day increase since April 29.

The rising case numbers in Pennsylvania have prompted health officials to emphasize the importance of adhering to basic precautions, including wearing masks, practising social distancing, using the COVID Alert PA app, and frequent hand washing.

By April 2020, Pennsylvania had reported a total of 14,559 COVID-19 cases among residents since early March, ranking it eighth among U.S. states in terms of case numbers. Philadelphia, in particular, had confirmed 4,012 positive cases and 58 deaths by April 7, 2020. The state's death toll had reached nearly 250 by this time, with over 5,548 deaths occurring in residents from nursing or personal care facilities by October 2020.

Governor Tom Wolf has called on local manufacturers to support efforts to manage the accelerated impact of the virus, particularly in ensuring access to critical personal protective equipment and ventilators. The state introduced the Manufacturing Call to Action Portal, an online submission form to identify companies capable of producing supplies and offering resources to curb the virus's spread.

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