With the summer 2021 tourist season coming up fast, New England states - most anyway - are loosening COVID-19 travel restrictions in anticipation of free-spending visitors to arrive this summer.
Here are the essential facts as of 12 March 2021:
Connecticut
- Only visitors from RI, NY and NJ are currently exempt from 10-day quarantine.
- Restrictions are expected to be downgraded to advisories later in March.
Maine
- Residents of MA, CT, RI, NH and VT can now visit without quarantine or testing.
- Individuals who are fully vaccinated against, or who have recovered from, COVID-19 can visit from any US state without testing or quarantine; those not fully vaccinated or recovered are subject to testing or 10-day quarantine.
- As of 1 May, visitors from all US states will be automatically exempt unless ME CDC determines that certain states have unacceptably high rates of COVID-19 infection.
Massachusetts
- Visitors from HI, MI, OR, WA and Puerto Rico are exempt from testing and quarantine.
- Visitors from other New England states are exempt only of fully vaccinated, otherwise subject to testing or 10-day quarantine.
- Individuals passing through the state, commuters for work or school and certain other persons engaged in essential travel - but not leisure travelers of any sort - are exempt.
New Hampshire
- Until this week, visitors from the other New England states, and persons fully vaccinated, have been exempt, and visitors and residents returning from other US states were subject to 10-day quarantine.
- Gov. Sununu has announced he will soon end quarantine requirement for all Americans.
Rhode Island
- Visitors from the other New England states, and fully vaccinated individuals, are now exempt from testing or quarantine.
- Visitors from places with COVID-19 infection rates >5% - of which RI maintains a list - are subject to testing or quarantine.
Vermont
- Fully vaccinated persons from other US states may visit without testing or quarantine.
- All other visitors are subject to mandatory 14-day quarantine. Those without symptoms after 7 days in quarantine can forgo the additional 7 days by getting a negative test result.
- Persons engaged in essential travel for healthcare, food shopping, commuting to work or school, etc. are exempt; those traveling on leisure day or overnight trips are not.
New England ski resorts - like those in France and Italy - have taken a big hit this winter, and those in Vermont continue to do so.