Chicago travel update: 2 states added back to list; advisory stands at 40 states, 1 territory
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Department of Public Health added back two states to its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory Tuesday.
The city's COVID-19 quarantine advisory now includes 40 states and one territory after Connecticut and Maryland were added back on this week.
States are removed from the Travel Advisory when they maintain a daily COVID case rate below 15 per 100,000 residents for two consecutive weeks.
Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Connecticut's daily COVID case rate per 100,000 residents has rise to 20.7 from 11.1 over the past week. Maryland just passed the threshold at 15.1.
As of Tuesday, every state or territory except for Alabama, Washington D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and the Virgin Islands are on the Travel Advisory.
Officials recommend that unvaccinated travelers should get tested one to three days before leaving on the trip as well as getting tested three to five days after returning. Unvaccinated travelers are asked to self-quarantine for seven days after returning from travel even if they test negative. Those who do not get tested should self-quarantine for 10 days after travel and avoid those at high-risk for COVID for 14 days after travel.
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CDPH reminds unvaccinated travelers that under the Advisory, they should be tested for COVID before and after travel from any state on the advisory list and should quarantine upon arrival in Chicago.
The U.S. average daily case rate per 100,000 residents is 27.3, up 3 points from last week. Illinois' daily case rate currently is 31.9 (25.5 last week, 19.7 two weeks ago). Chicago's daily case rate is 19.5.
"Right now, for unvaccinated people, traveling over Thanksgiving is a risky move, especially if you plan to visit other Midwest or Upper Midwest states, where the daily case rates have not been going down," CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said. "Fully vaccinated people are at a much lower risk of serious COVID-related health problems, but all of us should be careful over the coming weeks - even more so if you plan to be among crowds or at large family gatherings."
