Ground-Zero for COVID-19 Open to Boating

The governors of Connecticut, New York and New Jersey recently announced that marinas, boatyards and manufacturers of recreational boating equipment will be open. Customers can visit them for personal use as long as strict social distancing and sanitization protocols are followed.

Regional Cooperation

With the three states sharing borders, it’s normal for boaters from Connecticut to wind up in the waters of New York across Long Island Sound, for example. And boaters from New York will journey south to Atlantic City. Anyone on the water must still adhere to social distancing guidelines and it’s recommended that only immediate family and household members be on board the same vessel.

Aligned Policies

“We’ve committed to working with our regional partners throughout this crisis to align our policies when and where appropriate,” New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said in the statement. “A unified approach is the most effective way to alleviate confusion for the residents of our states during the ongoing public-health emergency.”

Added governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York, “We worked closely with our friends in neighboring states to implement a uniform regional approach to reducing the spread of the virus. Aligning our policies in this area is another example of that strong partnership and will help ensure there is no confusion or ‘state shopping’ when it comes to marinas and boatyards.”

Connecticut governor New Lamont said the decision “provides uniformity across our marinas.” He added, “This is yet another example of how our states have shared interests, which is all the more reason to collaborate on these kinds of decisions.”