CHICAGO — Another nine states have been added to Chicago’s travel advisory as they’ve seen surges in coronavirus cases, the city health department announced Tuesday.
Under the advisory, unvaccinated people who come from spots on the list to Chicago are asked to get a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to arriving or to quarantine for 10 days upon arriving.
Vaccinated people are exempt.
In all, there are 14 states and one territory on the advisory:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virgin Islands
- Wyoming
For weeks, no states appeared on Chicago’s travel advisory because COVID-19 cases across the country dropped as vaccines became widely available. But coronavirus is now spiking in multiple states, with the surges fueled by the more contagious Delta variant and the low amount of people who are fully vaccinated, officials have said.
The federal government still requires all people to wear masks on public transit — including planes, buses and trains — and at airports and stations.
Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, also urged Chicagoans who aren’t fully vaccinated not to travel to places on the list, as they could be at risk.
Anyone 12 and older is eligible to get vaccinated in Chicago. The shots are free and do not require health insurance.
Anyone can call the city’s coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835 to get more information on how and where to get vaccinated in their community.
Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.
Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.
Already subscribe? Click here to support Block Club with a tax-deductible donation.
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast” here: