LaGuardia, Newark and JFK During COVID-19: What Uber Drivers Need To Know

LaGuardia, Newark and JFK During COVID-19: What Uber Drivers Need To Know

Airports like LaGuardia, Newark and JFK are usually ideal places for TLC drivers to pick up passengers and get tips. With New York getting back to some normality during the coronavirus, we bring you the latest information on the city’s main airports.

Please note: this information is correct at time of writing on April 13, 2021.

Can passengers fly to and from these airports?

The answer is yes, but there are some things to be aware of. While COVID-19 cases were high over Christmas 2020 and into January 2021, New York has seen a drop in infections. More and more people are being vaccinated and New York has been opening up over the past few weeks, with restaurants, arena sports and family amusement venues opening at reduced capacity.

Travel from many counties into New York airports is now allowed. New York is subject to US government rules, which means that travel is currently not permitted from the following countries:

  • China
  • Iran
  • United Kingdom
  • Republic of Ireland
  • Brazil
  • South Africa
  • The European Schengen Area

What are the current travel guidelines?

Passengers are able to travel internationally from New York airports, provided they comply with the guidance of the country they are travelling to. New York’s airports have put measures in place for travelers’ safety, including only allowing ticketed passengers into the terminal and requiring all passengers wear a face covering. You can see the latest airport guidance for LaGuardia, Newark and JFK in this video.

For passengers travelling to New York airports there have been some recent changes. Up until now, most passengers had to quarantine for 10 days or use a testing regimen to shorten quarantine when they arrive at a New York airport.

  • On April 1, 2021 it was announced that domestic passengers no longer need to quarantine.
  • As of April 10, 2021, travelers who do not have COVID-19 symptoms who enter New York from another country or territory are no longer required to test or quarantine, either. This is because international passengers have already needed to provide proof of a negative test or recent COVID recovery to board an airplane headed to the US.

However, quarantine is still recommended for all travelers who are not fully vaccinated or have not recovered from COVID-19 in the previous 3 months. The rule for travelers showing symptoms of the virus remains the same: they must immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department to have a COVID-19 test.

How busy are the airports?

With the new guidance making air travel easier, New York’s airports are getting busier. In fact, there’s increased travel across the whole of the US. On Monday January 11, 2021, 708,177 passengers were processed through TSA checkpoints. As a comparison, on Monday April 5, 2021, 1,561,959 were processed.

These figures would have been over 2 million before the pandemic, but it clearly shows that airports are getting busier as the US recovers from the huge impact of the virus.

Is it worth visiting LaGuardia, Newark or JFK for trips?

For the first time in several months, New York’s main airports are a good place for Uber drivers to do pick-ups and drop-offs. We’ve put together the latest information on waiting areas and pick-up points for these airports here.

It will be some time before the airports are as busy as they were before the virus, but with travel rules relaxing there will be passengers who require pick-ups and drop-offs at the airports. Remember that both you and your rider will need to wear a face-covering to prevent the spread of the virus and it’s important to keep your car well ventilated – check out this top tip on the best windows to open to keep you both safe.

Many drivers also tell us they aren’t feeling ready to go back to work as a rideshare driver. If that’s you, delivery work could be a good option, click here to find out more.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/from-other-countries.html

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/new-york-city-travel-covid-19/index.html

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

https://www.panynj.gov/airports/en/aviation-safety.html

https://www.tsa.gov/coronavirus/passenger-throughput

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