Chicago travel update: 2 states removed; advisory stands at 38 states, 1 territory
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Department of Public Health removed two states and at territory to its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory Tuesday.
The city's COVID-19 quarantine advisory now includes 38 states after California, North Carolina and Guam 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, California, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the Virgin Islands are on the Travel Advisory.
Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Washington, all with daily case rates under 15, could be removed from the travel advisory next week, if their daily COVID case rates remain below 15 per 100,000 residents for a second consecutive week.
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.
The three states with the highest daily rates of COVID per 100,000 residents in the U.S. are Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
"The best protection you can have against COVID, no matter where you travel or what new variants emerge, is full vaccination, and booster shots for those who are fully vaccinated," said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. "The Midwest is the current COVID hot spot as temperatures drop and people spend more time inside, so please protect yourself and get vaccinated."
CDPH's Travel Advisory guidance is aligned with the CDC's traveler recommendations.
Before travel, unvaccinated individuals should:
While traveling:
After travel, unvaccinated individuals should:
-If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
