Arwady: Watching Wisconsin 'With Huge Concern' For Chicago's Travel Quarantine List
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After being on the list, then taken off, the state of Wisconsin is close to getting back on Chicago's travel quarantine list, according to the head of Chicago's Department of Public Health.
Last week, the CDPH added Kentucky to the city's emergency travel order, requiring people to quarantine for 14 days upon return from travel to high-risk states or territories, while removing California and Puerto Rico from the list.
"Certainly we are watching Wisconsin with huge concern," said Doctor Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health. "They had their highest ever number of cases of COVID reported last Thursday. They've had percent positivity is in the 13 to 17% range."
Arwady said she anticipates a similar scenario with Wisconsin as with Indiana, when the numbers in that state signaled it would be placed on Chicago's list. It wasn't.
"Where there's a one of the states that's directly bordering (Illinois) we want to make sure people have enough prew-arning about this," Arwady said. "My expectation is that we will basically put people on alert for Wisconsin that if they're not able to turn this around. They would be added to the list the following week, but the bottom line is really, from right now, if people can avoid the travel it won't be probably in the formal quarantine order, unless it stays up for another week."
As of Monday, the city's quarantine list, which now includes a total of 21 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.
Dr. Arwady said the Chicago Department of Public Health will make its weekly travel quarantine list announcement on Tuesday.
Travelers entering or returning to Chicago after spending more than 24 hours in one of the high-risk states on the list are required to self-quarantine for 14 days from the time they were last in one of those states. The order does not apply to people who are flying through Chicago on connecting flights, or driving through the city on their way to other destinations.
Essential workers are exempt from the quarantine mandate if they must travel for work, but should only leave home for work, and avoid public spaces as much as possible.
Exceptions also apply for those leaving home for medical treatment, or parental shared custody reasons; and for people for whom self-quarantine "is not possible, practicable or advisable."
