Chicago travel update: 2 states, 1 territory added; advisory stands at 48 states, 3 territories

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Illinois travel restrictions: Chicago advisory at 48 states, 3 territories; Louisiana, South Carolina, Virgin Islands added

Chicago's COVID-19 quarantine advisory was updated to include 48 states and three territories this week.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago Department of Public Health added two states to its weekly COVID-19 Travel Advisory Tuesday.

The city's quarantine advisory now includes 48 states and three territories after Louisiana, South Carolina and the Virgin Islands was added to the list.

Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.

As of Tuesday, every state or territory except for Guam and Montana are on the Travel Advisory.

Three states - Alaska, Idaho, and Mississippi - are eligible to come off the advisory next 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.

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.

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.

For international travel, the CDC now requires that all travelers, regardless of vaccination status or citizenship, get a negative COVID-19 viral test no more than 1 day before travel into the United States. CDPH guidelines follow CDC requirements for international travel.

The U.S. average daily case rate per 100,000 residents is 62.2, nearly double what it was three weeks ago at 31.3. Illinois' daily case rate currently is 87.1, also more than double what it was three weeks ago at 39.2 Chicago's daily case rate is 140.3, a more than 500 percent increase from three weeks ago (23.2).

"If you must travel during this time, please make sure you are fully vaccinated - and that includes a booster shot," said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. "You don't know the vaccination status of your fellow travelers, so take the extra precaution of wearing your mask whenever you are in enclosed spaces with other people. If you're not vaccinated, you probably shouldn't be traveling."

CDPH's Travel Advisory guidance is aligned with the CDC's traveler recommendations.

Before travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

Get tested 1-3 days prior to departure.

While traveling:

ALL individuals regardless of vaccination status must wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.

In Chicago, wear a mask in all indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status.

Avoid crowds as much as you can and wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).

After travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days.

Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.

-If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.

If you don't get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

All travelers are advised to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms after travel and isolate and get tested if they develop symptoms.

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