Florida, Hawaii, D.C. Removed From Chicago Travel Advisory; List Includes 45 States, 2 Territories

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Florida, Hawaii, and Washington D.C. were removed from Chicago's travel advisory on Tuesday, leaving 45 states and two territories on the list.

States are removed from the city's travel advisory when they get their daily COVID case rate below 15 per 100,000 residents for two consecutive weeks.

The Chicago Department of Public Health said four other states - Maryland, Georgia, Mississippi, and Louisiana - could be removed from the travel advisory list next week, if they keep their case rates below that threshold for another week.

Currently, every state or territory except for California, Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico are on the travel advisory list. City officials recommend the following steps for unvaccinated people traveling to or from states on the travel advisory list:

Before travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

• Get tested 1-3 days prior to departure.

While traveling:

• ALL individuals regardless of vaccination status must wear a mask on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and while indoors at U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
• In Chicago, wear a mask in all indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status.
• Avoid crowds as much as you can and wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).

After travel, unvaccinated individuals should:

• Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days.
• Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.

• • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don't get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel. Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.
• All travelers are advised to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms after travel and isolate and get tested if they develop symptoms.

The states and territories with the highest daily COVID case rates – Alaska, Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, Guam – have seen those rates go largely unchanged over the past month, but city officials warned that a handful of Midwest states are among the top 15 case rates - including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan.

"The good news is that a few states have been able to maintain daily COVID case rates under 15 and have come off our travel advisory this week," said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. "A few more states, if they can maintain their positive trends, may come off the list next week. But the fact that some of our fellow Midwest states have had their case rates rise steeply shows how fragile our advances can be. We must continue to be vigilant with vaccinations and mask-wearing if we're going to keep COVID down as the temperatures come down."