Chicago adds 5 states, 1 territory to COVID-19 travel advisory days before Christmas

CHICAGO - Five states and one territory were added to Chicago's weekly COVID-19 travel advisory on Tuesday as residents make their final travel preparations for the Christmas holiday.

Public health officials announced Tuesday that Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Texas and Puerto Rico were added after their daily COVID-19 case rates rose above 15 per 100,000 residents. The advisory now stands at 47 states and two territories.

As of Tuesday, every state and territory except Guam, Louisiana, South Carolina and the Virgin Islands were on the list.

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"The continuing rise of COVID-19 case rates across the country feels disheartening, but the odds are on your side many times over if you’re fully vaccinated – that means getting your booster shot," said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D.

Montana was the only state eligible to be removed from the city's travel advisory this week. States can be removed from the list if their daily case rates remain below 15 per 100,000 for two consecutive weeks.

Maryland has not reported complete case date to the CDC for at least two weeks, so it remains on the advisory, officials said.

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The nation's average daily case rate per 100,000 residents is currently at 40.0, up from 35.2 last week.

In Illinois, the current daily case rate has risen from 56.0 last week to 66.9 this week. Chicago's daily case rate also jumped from 33.8 one week ago to 42.5 this week.

City health officials continue to remind unvaccinated travelers that they should be tested for COVID-19 before and after travel from any state on this advisory list and should quarantine when they arrive back in Chicago.

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"If you’re traveling over the holidays and you’re vaccinated, please get your booster shot as soon as you can," Arwady said. "It gives you that extra level of protection that now, unfortunately, is necessary. And if you’re not vaccinated, especially now, you really shouldn’t be traveling."

Vaccinated travelers do not need to be tested or quarantine if they traveled domestically.

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