CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The increasing rate of COVID infections in a number of states has prompted the City of Chicago to bring back its coronavirus travel advisory.
After several weeks with no states on its COVID-19 travel advisory, the Chicago Department of Public Health has added two states back on the list amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in some regions of the country.
The recent increases pushed both Missouri and Arkansas back past the mark of 15 cases per day, per 100,000 residents.
Additionally, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID case rates have been steadily increasing in other areas of the country. The following states, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands, are at risk of passing the threshold if trends continue: Nevada, Louisiana, Utah, Wyoming, and Florida.
CDPH advises any unvaccinated person traveling from Missouri or Arkansas to obtain a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Chicago or quarantine for a 10-day period upon arrival. CDPH continues to stress the importance of getting vaccinated for COVID, and adherence to all masking guidelines for travel.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and this only goes to show that the virus is still very much a threat and that we must all remain vigilant against it,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., in a statement. “That means getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in public settings if you are not fully vaccinated.”
Dr. Arwady also noted that almost all new COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths – about 99 percent - are among unvaccinated individuals.
After three consecutive reporting periods where no U.S. states or territories reported 15 or more COVID cases per day, per 100,000 residents, Chicago’s emergency travel order was changed to an advisory on June 29. Since then, Missouri (21.2) and Arkansas (19.2) are the only two to have broken the threshold of 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents.
But case rates are increasing in other states, as well as in areas of central and southern Illinois. The last time Chicago’s travel advisory was updated, on June 29, there were four states whose daily case rate per 100,000 residents was at 10.0 or above. As of Tuesday morning, there were eight.
The last time before Tuesday that any states were in the Orange Tier was May 18. Any states or territories with fewer than 15 cases per 100,000 residents per day are in the Yellow Tier.
While there are no travel restrictions related to the city’s travel advisory, all travelers must still adhere to masking rules. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
The CDC noted that the highly transmissible delta variant continues to spread across the United States rapidly and now makes up more than 50 percent of COVID-19 cases. However, people who are fully vaccinated are protected from the variant.
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