By Amanda Crouch
On April 27, 2020, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order No. GA-20 relating to self-quarantine requirements for travelers entering Texas. Effective as of 12:01 a.m. on May 1, 2020, GA-20 lifts the self-quarantine requirements imposed in March for travelers entering Texas from the City of New Orleans or the State of Louisiana by air or road travel. Any mandatory self-quarantine already in effect as a result of travel from the City of New Orleans or the State of Louisiana is terminated immediately as of April 27, 2020.
GA-20 continues the self-quarantine requirement for travelers entering Texas through an airport, from a point of origin or point of last departure in the following locations:
- State of California;
- State of Connecticut;
- State of New York;
- State of New Jersey;
- State of Washington;
- City of Atlanta, Georgia;
- City of Chicago, Illinois;
- City of Detroit, Michigan; or
- City of Miami, Florida.
Travelers entering Texas from those locations shall be subject to mandatory self-quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry into Texas or the duration of the person’s presence in Texas, whichever is shorter, leaving their designated quarantine location only to seek medical care or to depart from Texas.
Travelers requiring to quarantine under GA-20 must report their designated quarantine location to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) upon return to Texas. Travelers shall proceed directly from the airport to their designated quarantine location and shall remain there for the quarantine period without permitting any visitors other than a health department employee, physician or health care provider. During the quarantine period, self-quarantined travelers shall not visit any public spaces. DPS agents will conduct unannounced visits to the travelers’ designated quarantine location to verify compliance. Failure to comply shall be a criminal offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000, confinement in jail for up to 180 days, or both.
The requirement to self-quarantine after travel from certain locations under GA-20 shall not apply to people traveling in connection with military service, emergency response, health response or critical infrastructure functions as may be determined by the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
GA-20 supersedes the self-quarantine requirements imposed by GA-11 (relating to airport screening and self-quarantine after travel from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut) and by the related proclamation of March 29, 2020 (extending airport screening and self-quarantine procedures after travel from California, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and Miami) except that any mandatory self-quarantine already in effect under GA-11 shall continue until its expiration as set forth in the prior order.
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Please note: This article and any resources presented on the JW Coronavirus Insights & Resources site are for informational purposes only, do not constitute legal or medical advice, and are not a substitute for legal advice from qualified counsel. The laws of other states and nations may be entirely different from what is described. Your use of these materials does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and Jackson Walker. The facts and results of each case will vary, and no particular result can be guaranteed.
