4 states added to Chicago quarantine order for travelers, while none removed
The city of Chicago added Kentucky, Wyoming, Texas and Nevada to its quarantine list and made no removals, officials announced Tuesday.
The additions will be effective Friday, when the list will cover 23 states and territories, according to a Chicago Department of Public Health news release. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
While no states or territories were removed Tuesday, Georgia is on track to be taken off next week if it continues its progress, the news release said.
The city adds a state to its quarantine list if it averages more than 15 new daily COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. People who have spent more than 24 hours in the high-risk states are required to self-quarantine for 14 days after entering Chicago.
North Carolina has risen above that threshold, but its spike last week was possibly because of a “data anomaly,” so it was not added to the list this week, according to the release.
Last week, Wisconsin was added to the list for the second time as the neighboring state’s governor declared “a new public health emergency” due to a surge in cases.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s self-quarantine requirement was implemented during the Fourth of July weekend. Though the order is generally not being enforced aside from signs and billboards telling people that they must self-quarantine, violators are subject to fines of $100 to $500 per day, up to $7,000.
Exceptions to the self-quarantine order include essential workers, those traveling for medical treatment and those for whom “self-quarantine is not possible, practicable or advisable.” The order also does not apply to people who are at the airport for a connecting flight or are driving through the city on their way elsewhere.
Since the end of summer, Chicago’s daily cases over a seven-day average have dropped to 300 and its positivity rate has declined to 4.3%, according to Monday data.
Check back for updates.
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