No Changes To Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order; Negative COVID Test Or Quarantine Required Upon Arrival From All States Except Hawaii

CHICAGO (CBS) — Travelers coming to Chicago from anywhere in the U.S. except Hawaii remain subject to the city’s COVID-19 restrictions, meaning they either must test negative for the virus before arriving or quarantine for 10 days once they get here.

The city did not make any changes to its “emergency travel order” this week, meaning 48 states and two territories (Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.) are still in the “orange” category, meaning travelers headed to Chicago from those locations must either obtain a negative coronavirus test no more than 72 hours before arrival in Chicago or quarantine for 10 days when they arrive.

Only Hawaii is listed in the “yellow” travel category, meaning travelers from that state face no test or quarantine mandate, but must still follow social distancing and masking requirements while in Chicago.

The city’s travel order applies to both Chicago residents returning home from travel out of state, or to visitors from outside the city.

The city revised its emergency travel order two weeks ago, dividing U.S. states and territories into two categories:

• Yellow includes states and territories with a rolling 7-day average of less than 15 cases per day per 100,000 population; no quarantine or pre-travel testing is required, but visitors must observe masking and social distancing requirements, and avoid large in-person gatherings.
• Orange includes states and territories with a rolling 7-day average above 15 cases per day per 100,000 population; visitors from those states must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Chicago, or test negative for COVID-19 no more than 72 hours before arriving. They also must observe masking and social distancing requirements, and avoid large in-person gatherings.

Essential workers who are required to travel for work are exempt from the testing and quarantining requirements, but are still required to limit their activities while traveling to work-related activities, and avoid public spaces as much as possible while traveling.

The city also grants exemptions to people traveling for medical care, for parents with shared custody arrangements, and people who travel through designated states for less than 24 hours.

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