The Cook County Department of Public Health's emergency travel guidance now directs travelers from 22 states to quarantine for 14 days.
The guidance mirrors Chicago's travel order, which also requires anyone visiting or returning to the city from one of 22 states to self-quarantine for two weeks.
Cook County, which includes several suburbs surrounding Chicago, will follow the same list of states as the one taking effect in the city Friday. The county's list, updated every Tuesday, included four more states this week: Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri.
- Florida
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Arizona
- Alabama
- Georgia
- Tennessee
- Nevada
- South Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Texas
- Idaho
- Arkansas
- California
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Utah
- Wisconsin
- North Dakota
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Nebraska
“We have come a long way in Cook County and Illinois and we want to keep it that way,” Cook County Department of Public Health Co-Lead and Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Rachel Rubin, said in a statement when the guidance was first launched. “It is summer and we know people want to travel, but we have to remain vigilant to keep our gains and avoid having to close places we’ve only just reopened.”
Chicago first issued an emergency travel order for 15 states just before the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The order took effect on July 6. It was updated this week to also include Wisconsin, North Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said travelers entering or returning to Chicago from "states experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases" will need to quarantine "for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state."
The order is set to remain in effect until further notice and the list of states is slated to be evaluated every Tuesday.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "travel increases your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19."
The move comes as states across the U.S. see surges of coronavirus cases, many shutting down bars and restaurants in an effort to quell or prevent a spike.
Illinois was one of three states added to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut's joint list of states requiring travelers to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.
