Traveling doctor worries Florida travel restrictions could cost him his job

Traveling to Florida from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is officially restricted.

Monday night, the governor signed the executive order stating anyone flying in from those areas must quarantine themselves. But what are the exceptions?

One traveling doctor we spoke to is worried this could cost him his job.

Dr. John Infantolino lives in Florida but works out of state.

“I work three days a week, I fly down on Thursday mornings first flight out and I fly back on Sunday night last flight out,” he said.

After a 30-year career as a full-time physician, he wanted to work part-time but couldn’t find any positions here.

Now, he works part-time at an out-patient clinic in New Jersey.

“I’m a health care provider and they cannot do without physicians,” Infantolino said.

With the travel restrictions in place hoping to limit the number of people bringing the coronavirus to the state, Infantolino is worried.

“If I couldn’t come back, that would really put a damper on how many patients they could possibly see,” he said.

After he couldn’t get any answers, we took his questions to the governor and found the executive order “does not apply to persons employed by the airlines and those performing military, emergency or health response.”

Good news for his clinic since he says they’ve had to close three of their offices due to lack of staff.

“And unfortunately, we don’t know how long this is going to be going on for,” Infantolino said.

Now that the coronavirus has made his role as vital as ever, he’s taking precautions.

“As soon as I walk up to the airport, I put my mask on, and I wear gloves walking through the airport, through security, down to the gate, onto the airplane, on the airplane, off the airplane and then I take my gloves and mask off when I get to my car,” he said.

If you are not one of the exceptions to this executive order, the governor’s office says if you fly or drive here, you must quarantine for 14 days from the time you get to Florida or until you leave; whichever is shorter.

Those who do not follow these instructions could face fines up to $500 and 60 days in jail.