This week the New York State Army and Air National Guard began assisting with registering travelers as they flew into the Greater Rochester International Airport.
The change comes as states around New York begin to see upticks in COVID-19 cases. The concern, among state officials, is that visitors from these states may not always be registering for their required 14-day quarantine.
One local resident, Kristen Milner from Sodus, is worried about Pennsylvania being put on that list. Her parents live across the state border in North Orwell.
“If they put Pennsylvania on that list, I’m not going to see them for Thanksgiving, or Christmas or my children’s birthdays,” she told News10NBC. “It’s just going to be phone calls again. It’s really heart wrenching.”
Other travelers noted that they were taken aback by the presence of National Guard troops. “I was not sure why the troops were involved,” Nova Antoine added to News10NBC as he came from Houston. He already planned on quarantining.
“I’m used to seeing the New York State health department but seeing the National Guard, I was kind of distressed ‘Why do we have National Guard in the airport?’ You know?”
Troops have been spotted at both Rochester and Syracuse airports.
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