Chicago families with Labor Day travel plans should reconsider, city's top doctor says

Dr. Allison Arwady
Dr. Allison Arwady discusses COVID-19 at a news conference Tuesday. Photo credit TWITTER/Chicago Department of Public Health

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago families may be considering traveling over the Labor Day weekend, but the city’s health commissioner is asking them to reconsider because of current risks associated with COVID-19.

“I would not recommend traveling,” Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday. “If you’ve got unvaccinated children, particularly younger children, the whole country is doing really badly from a COVID perspective right now.”

Vermont is now the only state not included on Chicago’s travel advisory, which encourages unvaccinated individuals coming from outside Illinois to get tested for COVID-19 and self-quarantine for several days.

“I know that’s hard for people, but we’re just trying to avoid infection. I think especially when we’re back in school, the bar is a little higher in terms of trying to think about limiting that risk as much as possible.”

Arwady says enforcement will be up to individual schools and school systems.

Featured Image Photo Credit: TWITTER/Chicago Department of Public Health