State Required Certificate of Compliance

[Lisa1259]

Good morning,

My state of Maine is requiring all out-of-state Visitors (with the exception of NH, VT, CT, NY, and NJ) to either quarantine for 14 days or provide a Certificate of Compliance. This document states, among other things, that the Visitor has had a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of arrival. All lodging businesses are required to collect these docs and hold them for 30 days.

I have added this requirement to my listing, the booking message, as well as either sending a copy or directions where a Guest can obtain a copy. It isn’t a perfect system but I want to follow the Governor’s Order.

My question is: What does a Host do if a Guest arrives without this completed certificate? Some Guests don’t respond to messages prior to their arrival. This situation has not occurred, but I want to know how to handle this should the situation arise. With social distancing I may greet Guests in the driveway only to collect the document at this point. It is otherwise self-check-in.

Maybe they are choosing to quarantine, but coming to Maine for 4 days of quarantine is highly unlikely and it isn’t the Host’s duty to monitor or police their activity.

Thank you! I look forward to hearing how others are dealing with this pandemic detail!

~ Lisa

[Emilia42]

@Lisa1259 Technically, the guest would not be allowed to check-in. And then they are free to roam around the State, infected or not infected, looking for a place that will illegally house them for the night. 🙂

[Marg11]

@Lisa1259 , @Emilia42 We have similar rules in Western Australia. All arrivals are met at the airport or port by police to check for illegal entries who are taken to secure hotel quarantine and tested. Returning Western Australians are tested and must quarantine at home for a fortnight. We can offer quarantine stays but have decided not to, to protect ourselves.

[Emilia42]

@Marg11 Unfortunately, our rules are primarily political and to transfer liability to the lodging provider. Anyone and everyone can enter our State but should a problem arise and we are not found in compliance with the rules we can be fined. How the lodging industry has taken on full responsibility for policing the COVID situation in our State is beyond me.

[Marg11]

@Emilia42 Wow, that leaves you in a predicament.