Oklahoma, Iowa travelers must quarantine upon arrival to Chicago to avoid possible fines
Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images
CHICAGO - People traveling from Iowa and Oklahoma to Chicago will have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival or face possible fines starting Friday.
Chicago first issued a quarantine order early this month for 15 other states based on increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The city updated the order Tuesday, bringing the total number of affected states to 17.
States are included based on the rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents.
To comply, travelers must stay at a single home or other dwelling for 14 days except to seek medical care or be tested for COVID-19. The order also applies to city residents returning from a visit to a designated state.
Chicago officials acknowledge there’s little way of enforcing the order. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the order can raise travelers’ awareness of “what their obligations are when they travel.”
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Tuesday reported 707 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 25 deaths. Overall, there have been 155,506 confirmed cases and 7,218 deaths.
Also Tuesday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced about $109 million to address equity issues, the latest federal education funding during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s being used for early childhood, K-12 and higher education on issues including safety and inequities in technology.