Nebraska among 4 states added to Chicago travel quarantine order
CHICAGO (AP) — People traveling from Missouri, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and North Dakota to Chicago will have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival or face possible fines starting Friday.
Chicago officials issued the quarantine order in early July. Initially, it applied to travelers from 15 states but has been updated weekly based on increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus.
The latest expansion announced Tuesday brings the total number of affected states to 22.
The city’s Department of Public Health Commissioner said the specific states listed are based on the rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents.
As of Thursday, that means people coming from Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah will be affected.
The order also applies to city residents returning from a visit to a designated state.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last week that people from nine states hit hard by the COVID-19 virus will be required to quarantine for two weeks when they arrive in his state, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Cuomo’s announcement came as Florida’s new confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed by 5,500, which was a 25% jump from its previous one-day record and triple the level of just two weeks prior.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Chicago officials will enforce that state’s order.
According to a website explaining the change, people could face fines of between $100 and $500 per day, totaling up to $7,000.
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