Chicago
Department of Public Health Commissioner Issues Emergency Travel Order
Directing Travelers from States Seeing a Surge in COVID-19 Cases to
Quarantine Upon Arrival in Chicago
Order mirrors action taken in New York and other states to further contain local spread of COVID-19
“Like
every action we have taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis, this
decision was difficult but necessary in order to ensure the continued
health and safety of Chicago’s residents and businesses,” said Mayor
Lori E. Lightfoot. “Our success in staying ahead of this pandemic
underscores our commitment to following the data of this disease,
prioritizing saving lives, and working collaboratively with health
officials, businesses and other stakeholders as we safely reopen our
city’s economy. This emergency order will not only help contain the
local spread of COVID-19 and preserve the positive progress we’ve made,
it will also serve to prevent further spread nationwide and support the
efforts of officials in other cities and states.”
“For
close to six months now we’ve been laser-focused on containing this
virus, limiting infections and ultimately saving lives, and we’ve made
tremendous progress,” said Dr. Arwady. “That remains our focus today,
and this order is another important measure in helping us further
contain the spread of COVID-19 in Chicago.”
This
measure is a response to increased and high rates of COVID-19
transmission in certain states and builds on ongoing enforcement
measures by the City to slow the transmission of COVID-19, representing a
cautious, incremental and evidence-based approach to reopening the
city. The list of states included in the order will be updated every
Tuesday, and the order will be in effect until further notice. There are
exceptions for essential workers traveling for work purposes and for
other specific circumstances outlined below.
Chicago
has experienced several weeks of declining new daily cases, and the
percent positivity rate – the percentage of people tested who are
positive for COVID-19 – has fallen steeply and is now under 5%. But the
city is still considered an area of moderate-high incidence under
Centers for Disease Control guidance, and officials don’t want to see
those gains reversed. Dr. Arwady has issued several public health orders
during the pandemic to protect the public health, including previous
orders applying the governor’s stay-at-home order and limiting public
interaction.
While
Chicago and Illinois have seen steep declines in new cases,
hospitalizations and deaths, other parts of the country are seeing a
surge in new cases and the country overall is setting new highs for
daily COVID-19 cases. Because of this, officials in Chicago, similar to
states such as New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, decided to act
quickly in an effort to prevent a local resurgence.
When
the order goes into effect on July 6, travelers from the following
states, including Chicago residents returning from these states, will be
directed to quarantine upon arrival in Chicago:
· Alabama
· Arkansas
· Arizona
· California
· Florida
· Georgia
· Idaho
· Louisiana
· Mississippi
· North Carolina
· Nevada
· South Carolina
· Tennessee
· Texas
· Utah
Violators
are subject to fines of $100-$500 per day, up to $7,000. Exceptions to
the order for personal travel will be permitted for travel for medical
care and parental shared custody, and for business travel to Chicago for
essential workers. The Commissioner of Health may additionally grant
exemptions based upon an organization’s or business’ testing and other
control policies.
Such
essential workers traveling for work purposes are subject to
requirements that include limiting their activities to work-related
activities and functions that directly support their work-related
activities and avoiding public spaces as much as possible.
There
are other exceptions to the order, as well. For example, it does not
apply to any individual passing through designated states for a limited
duration (less than 24 hours) through the course of travel, such as
travelers changing planes at certain airports or driving through
designated states.
The
quarantine requirement applies to people even if they have no symptoms
COVID-19 and those who test negative for COVID-19. Travelers coming from
international locations should review the Centers for Disease Control travel recommendations by country.
The
order and its current effects will be communicated to travelers through
signage at O’Hare and Midway International Airports, on highways and
roadways, as well as through City websites and social media channels.
The City has asked hotels and short-term rentals to communicate the
14-day quarantine to guests who have traveled from one of the designated
states as well.
Throughout
the pandemic, individuals who are infected with COVID-19 or have come
into contact with someone who is, have been advised to quarantine.
Quarantine helps prevent the spread of disease before a person knows
they are sick, including if a traveler has been infected with the virus
but does not have symptoms. In this order, quarantine means staying at a
single designated home or dwelling for 14 days before doing any
activities outside of the home or dwelling. People in quarantine should
separate themselves from others as much as possible and check themselves
for symptoms. The requirements to safely quarantine can be found here.
