Do You Have to Quarantine? Here Are the Exemptions After Indiana Added to Chicago Travel Order

Chicago health officials Tuesday added bordering state Indiana to the city's travel order, but said some people are exempt from the 14-day quarantine.

Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said Tuesday that students and workers consistently traveling to Indiana and Wisconsin are exempt from the order.

Arwady added that people traveling for medical care or parental shared custody are also exempt from the travel order's quarantine.

Any person traveling for non-essential purposes must quarantine for 14 days following the return to Illinois, Arwady said.

Wisconsin was added to Chicago's travel order three weeks ago and follows the same exemptions, health officials explained.

Chicago health officials added Indiana, North Carolina, Rhode Island and New Mexico, the city said in a press conference Tuesday.

The travel order now covers 25 states and territories: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

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" under the order, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady says. Essential workers could be exempt from the quarantine requirement, however, as long as their employer certifies their work in writing.

States are added to the list if they have "a case rate greater than 15 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 resident population, per day, over a 7-day rolling average." If they fall below that threshold, they could be removed as well.

Health officials in Indiana reported 1,569 new cases of coronavirus Tuesday, along with 27 additional deaths attributed to the virus.

For the eleventh day in a row, Indiana on Monday broke its own record for average daily new coronavirus cases.

Chicago's travel order, which began on July 6, is evaluated every Tuesday, with any additions taking effect the following Friday.

The order is set to remain in effect until further notice.