Indiana, 3 other states added to Chicago's travel quarantine list as virus cases surge

CHICAGO - The Chicago Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that four more states have been added to the city's travel quarantine list.

Indiana, North Carolina, Rhode Island and New Mexico join the list of 22 other states and territories on the order that require travelers entering Chicago to quarantine for 14 days.

Current locations on the city's travel order are: 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.

The city’s Department of Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, said the specific states listed are based on the rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents.

The order also applies to city residents returning from a visit to a designated state.

Indiana being added to the quarantine list comes as the Midwest deals with a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Many are eager to get back to some sense of normalcy, which means physically going to work, church or school. But unfortunately, we’re not there yet.

“We have no goal here in Chicago except for to control the spread of COVID,” said Dr. Arwady.

Public health officials on Tuesday announced more than 2,800 newly confirmed coronavirus infections in Illinois. That includes an additional 29 deaths. The statewide death toll now exceeds 9,000.

“You really gotta think of other people as opposed to just yourself,” said Chicago resident Scott Senderak.

If massive public gatherings, and people refusing to wear facemasks and adhere to social distancing continues, authorities say we’ll certainly see restrictions tightened.