CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Alaska was added Tuesday to Chicago's mandatory travel quarantine order, while Georgia and Texas were removed and Indiana was placed on a "warning" list.
Beginning Friday, anyone traveling to Chicago from Alaska will have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The emergency travel order took effect on July 6. It now includes 22 states and territories, including:
Alabama
Alaska
Arkansas
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Minnesota
Mississipi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Utah
Wisconsin
Wyoming
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.
Texas saw a spike in cases last week due to a data anomaly. Excluding the data anomaly, the state has averaged less than 15 cases/100k/day and has been removed from the quarantine list.
Indiana is seeing a daily case average of over 15 cases/100k/day. To allow residents enough time to plan travel to this border state, it has been added to a warning list. If Indiana is unable to bring down the daily case average in the next week, they will be added to the quarantine list. Chicago residents are strongly advised to not travel to Indiana, CDPH officials said.
“I would encourage Chicago residents, if they are going to be travelling to Indiana, do the things that you know work," said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, such as wearing a face covering, social distancing, and washing hands frequently.
“We have sometimes managed to see states that turn around fairly quickly,” Arwady told reporters Tuesday. “We would prefer not to disrupt travel unnecessarily.”
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, the order applies to individuals coming from Wisconsin to Chicago for non-work purposes and Chicago residents returning from Wisconsin, unless they are deemed an essential worker. Individuals who travel to Wisconsin, 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.