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Coronavirus: Chicago issues 14-day quarantine for travelers from ‘surge’ states

CHICAGO — Officials in Chicago issued an emergency travel order Thursday, requiring anyone who has visited one of 15 states experiencing a spike in coronavirus cases to quarantine for 14 days.

Allison Arwady, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner, issued the order. She said travelers entering or returning to Chicago from “states experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases” will need to quarantine “for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

The order is set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Monday and remain in effect until further notice, Arwady said.

States included in the order are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, WMAQ reported.

“For close to six months now we’ve been laser-focused on containing this virus, limiting infections and ultimately saving lives, and we’ve made tremendous progress,” Arwady said in a release. “That remains our focus today, and this order is another important measure in helping us further contain the spread of COVID-19 in Chicago.”

The order does not apply to people who are at one of Chicago’s airports for a connecting flight or driving through the city on their way elsewhere, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“Like every action we have taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis, this decision was difficult but necessary in order to ensure the continued health and safety of Chicago’s residents and businesses,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement.

People who violate the order could face fines between $100 and $500 per day and up to a maximum of $7,000, the Tribune reported. According to city officials, quarantine means “staying at a single designated home or dwelling for 14 days before doing any activities outside of the home or dwelling.”

“Cases all over the country (are) on fire,” Lightfoot said in a release issued by the health department. “Record numbers of new cases and deaths from across the country and all around Chicago -- that’s not going to be our story.”

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