Chicago's Travel Advisory stays at 48 states and 3 territories; 4 locations swap spots
CHICAGO - One state and one territory were removed from Chicago's Travel Advisory on Tuesday while another state and territory took their places on this list.
The Chicago Department of Public Health announced that both California and Puerto Rico were removed from the city's COVID-19 Travel Advisory. Both maintained a daily COVID case rate of under 15 per 100,000 residents for two consecutive weeks.
Connecticut and the District of Columbia both returned to the advisory as their cases rates crept back over the threshold of 15 cases per 100,000 residents over the past week, CDPH said.
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"The states on the Travel Advisory might change from week to week, but one thing that does not change is the fact that if you want to travel freely without needing to get tested or self-quarantine for a week, get vaccinated," said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. "Being fully-vaccinated when you travel is like having a TSA pre-check – it’s not a free pass, and you still need to be careful and adhere to all the safety guidelines to keep yourself and others well, but it certainly makes everything easier and you’ll have less to worry about."
The total number of states and territories remain unchanged from last week, which stands at 48 states and three territories.
Chicago's current daily COVID case rate is at 15.3, down from 22.6 last week while Illinois is at 22.4, CDPH said. The state was at 22.8 two weeks ago.
The U.S. average daily case rate per 100,000 residents is 35.8, up slightly from 35.4 one week ago, according to the CDPH. States and territories with the highest daily COVID case rates are West Virginia (102.3), Guam (95.4) and Alaska (80.3).
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Under the advisory, unvaccinated travelers should be tested for COVID before and after travel and should quarantine upon arrival in Chicago.
Before traveling, the city advises unvaccinated individuals to:
- Get tested 3-5 days prior to departure.
While traveling:
- ALL individuals regardless of vaccination status should 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; and
- Avoid crowds, try to stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who is not traveling with you, 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; and
- 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 after travel to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms and isolate and get tested if they develop symptoms.
All travelers are also advised to adhere to federal and local masking rules. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States, and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
The health department continues to hold vaccination events across the city and distribute reliable information to all Chicagoans. In-home vaccination is also available to all Chicago residents through Protect Chicago At Home. Up to 10 people at a residence can receive the Pfizer (12 and older) or Johnson & Johnson (18 and older) vaccine. Call (312) 746-4835 for an appointment, or go to Chicago.gov/AtHome for details.