Tracking the latest impacts of COVID-19 on mobility programs

Since COVID-19 hit, mobility leaders have been tracking the impact of the pandemic on their programs through a variety of sources. From their trusted supply chains, to their industry associations and connections, to their favorite media outlets and organizations, staying on top of infection surges and the corresponding restrictive measures being rolled out in destinations around the U.S. and world has been critical to managing mobility effectively in 2020. Despite the increased hopes of what a near future vaccine will do, so many locations are experiencing a current surge of infections. There are some recent responses in the locations below for mobility teams to take note of and consider the impact on those relocating or going on assignment within your company.

Here are a few locations with stricter requirements currently to be aware of (information current as of Dec. 9):

California: The state currently has a regional stay-at-home order in effect through Jan. 4 (basically the next three weeks). After that period, they will be lifted when a region’s projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%. The order requires the closure of businesses like bars, hair salons, museums, movie theaters and indoor recreational facilities. Retail businesses are allowed to stay open at 20% capacity, while restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery service. Travel is prohibited except for essential activities. While there is not currently a restriction on moving, those coming into California from out of state are subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine that has been put into place for non-essential travel. The impact is that hotels and temporary furnished accommodations now have a minimum requirement of booking for 14 days. For all bookings into California during this time period, hotels and housing providers will need to ask the question of whether the traveler is traveling from in state or out of state.

"Except as otherwise required by law, no hotel or lodging entity in California shall accept or honor out of state reservations for non-essential travel, unless the reservation is for at least the minimum time period required for quarantine and the persons identified in the reservation will quarantine in the hotel or lodging entity until after that time period has expired."

This may impact individual relocating employees and company budgets either by adding cost to the process (for example, turning what would have been a 3-day stay into a 14-day stay) or delaying their ability to move on schedule. Lump sum and capped moves could have a more dramatic impact for the employees, and mobility programs may need to be prepared for increased exception requests.

Connecticut: Anyone currently traveling into Connecticut from a state other than New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island with a positive case rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents (or higher than a 10% test positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average, or from a country for which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice) are directed to self-quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or country. Currently only Hawaii makes the cut.

Illinois: While Illinois has no statewide restrictions, Chicago does! As of Dec. 7, visitors heading to Chicago have been placed in three categories — red, orange and yellow. Anyone from a red state must quarantine for 14 days. Anyone from an orange state must have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours old or observe the quarantine. Anyone coming from yellow states are not required to quarantine or take pre-arrival tests but currently only Hawaii, Maine and Vermont fall under that category.

Massachusetts: All visitors and residents must complete a travel form before arriving in Massachusetts unless they are arriving from a state designated by the Department of Public Health as low risk. As of Nov. 30, those were Hawaii and Maine.

Travelers must "quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative Covid-19 test result that has been administered up to 72 hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts." Those waiting on test results need to quarantine until they receive their negative test results. Failure to comply with these directives may result in a $500 fine. Check here for updates.

Minnesota: Since Nov. 20, Minnesota remains under a four week stay-at-home order (Dial Back, Minnesota) through Dec. 18. Out of state travel is highly discouraged. Incoming visitors and residents that travel out-of-state are asked to quarantine for 14 days upon entry (or reentry) to Minnesota. Full guidelines are here. 

New York: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced new guidelines allowing travelers to New York to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travelers from states that are contiguous with New York are exempt from the travel advisory; however, covered travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form. Essential workers will continue to be exempt as well. The guidance also applies to international travelers coming from any CDC Level 2 or Level 3 Health Notice country. The new protocol is effective as of Wednesday, Nov. 4. 

Staying on top of the dynamic happenings related to COVID-19 is no simple task, but it's important for mobility teams to remain aware and help guide their companies and mobile employees as best as possible. If people need to move, it can generally be accomplished. However, expect some additional precautions and potentially expenses to support everyone’s safety.

For a review of all states, check out CNN for a summary of U.S. state travel restrictions. In looking out across the world, the CDC shows the risk assessment for a number of locations — many are currently at a Level 4 (Very High) and Level 3 (High). Additionally, I highly recommend international mobility programs bookmark IATA's TravelCentre site. If you want to get notified when travel restrictions change, you can sign up for their alerts here, and maybe you can prevent an employee from being fined $3,500 like this guy in Taiwan!

For further information on COVID-19's impact on expatriate management, try this recent post.