Anyone coming into Massachusetts through Logan Airport or by car, bus and train will now have to prove that they're COVID-19 negative or hunker down.
The mandatory travel order, which went into effect on August 1, stipulates that all visitors and residents returning to the state from high-risk areas must either quarantine for 14 days or produce negative COVID-19 test results upon return into the state.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
"Lodging operators like hotels and AirBnB will be required to inform guests about this order at the time of booking and arrival," said Mass. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.
Individuals who have not received COVID-19 test results prior to arrival are required to quarantine until they receive a negative test result.
Additionally, travelers who are over 18 or unaccompanied minors from high-risk areas will be required to fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form.
Violators may face a $500 fine per day.
The new travel rules come in the wake of an increase in summer travel. Transportation officials say they're seeing an increase in the volume of travelers from other states and nations, including hot spots like Florida and California.
Gov. Charlie Baker says Massachusetts now has a lower average for positive test rates than many other states in the nation, and he wants it to remain that way.
"If anyone can't space out and can't do what everyone else is doing, then we have to limit the number of people who can be there," said Baker.
States considered lower risk, and thus exempt from the travel order, include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont New Hampshire and Hawaii.
Other exemptions to the new travel rules include people passing through, people who commute across state lines for work or school and people coming to the state for medical treatment or military purposes.
Anyone arriving from an international destination will be required to fill out the Massachusetts Travel Form and quarantine for 14 days, unless they can produce a negative COVID-19 test.
National and international travelers will not be required to quarantine for 14 days if they have tested negative for COVID-19 and the specimen was collected no longer than 72 hours prior to arrival in Massachusetts. Additionally, the testing method must be approved by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Those who took a COVID-19 test but have not yet received a negative test result must quarantine until they receive a negative result.
On Saturday, some travelers told NBC10 Boston the new rules are a breeze, while others disagreed, saying it was a hassle.
"We felt it was easy,” said Rose Grossman, who was traveling to Massachusetts from Detroit, Michigan.
Grossman and her husband Dennis decided to get tested ahead of their travel so they didn't have to worry about quarantining while on vacation.
“We lucked out and our test results came yesterday,” Grossman said.
But Dennis Grossman knows not everyone may find the new process to be as easy.
"They’re expecting an awful lot from a whole lot of people that may not be able to get that done,” he said.
More on Coronavirus and Massachusetts
And that seemed to be the case for Kevin Denino, of Seattle, who said, "I had to jump through the hoops to get the proper documentation.”
Those who spoke to NBC10 Boston said other than one sign, they never heard a word about the new rules from anyone at the airport.
MassPort said in a statement late Saturday night, "Signage has been put up throughout the airport and we have been in communication with the airlines regarding the new travel order."
Meanwhile, at Boston's South Station, there are plenty of signs about the new travel restrictions, but they didn't apply to people like Mini Kouame aboard the Amtrak train Saturday night from Providence, Rhode Island.
“I live here in Cambridge and traveled to Rhode Island state, which is a low-risk state,” Mini Kouame said.
For more information on the new travel order and how to properly quarantine, click here.
