CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago added five more states Tuesday to its mandatory travel quarantine order.
Beginning Friday, anyone traveling to Chicago from Colorado, Delaware, Ohio, West Virginia, and Texas will have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The emergency travel order took effect on July 6. It now includes 31 states and territories, including:
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Coronavirus cases have been rising nationwide, with only six states reporting decreases in the past week: California, Oregon, Hawaii, Vermont, Louisiana and Kentucky.
“Public health officials say this is a sign that we all need to double down on COVID precautions: wearing a mask, washing your hands frequently, practicing social distancing, limiting interaction with those not in your COVID ‘bubble’ and staying home if sick,” the health department said in a statement.
A state is considered a coronavirus hot zone if it has a case rate greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, per day, over a 7-day rolling average.
The order applies to Chicago only - not the rest of the state.
The travel order covers visitors to Chicago, as well as residents, and has exceptions for people doing essential travel, such as, government or military work, medical work, or shared parental custody; as well as those who don't stay in a hotspot for more than 24 hours. The order does not affect travelers at the city's airports who land here to connect with a flight or people driving through the state.
For Wisconsin and Indiana, the order applies to individuals coming from Wisconsin or Indiana to Chicago for non-work purposes and Chicago residents returning from Wisconsin or Indiana, unless they are deemed an essential worker. Individuals who travel to Wisconsin and Indiana, even if for less than 24 hours, still need to quarantine upon returning unless deemed an essential worker.
Individuals subject to the self-quarantine order face fines of $100 to $500 per day, up to $7,000 for violations, the city said. The order is in effect until further notice, officials said.
Chicago’s quarantine list is updated every Tuesday. Quarantine for new states added goes into effect the following Friday at 12:01 a.m. When states are removed from the quarantine list, it is effective immediately.