2 States Added To Chicago's Travel Order, First Addition In Weeks

CHICAGO — After weeks of no travel restrictions to and from the city, public health officials added two states back to Chicago's emergency travel order as delta variant cases rise across the U.S.

Missouri and Arkansas are now the only two states where unvaccinated travelers coming to Chicago will have to quarantine or undergo COVID-19 test requirements, according to a statement from the Chicago Department of Public Health. The new restrictions go into effect on Friday.

"The COVID-19 pandemic is not over, and this only goes to show that the virus is still very much a threat and that we must all remain vigilant against it," Dr. Allison Arwady, the city's public health commissioner, said in the statement. "That means getting vaccinated and wearing a mask in public settings if you are not fully vaccinated."

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Other states that are close to meeting the threshold of 15 positive cases per 100,000 residents include Nevada, Louisiana, Utah, Wyoming, Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to CDPH.

Unvaccinated travelers coming back from Missouri or Arkansas will be required to quarantine for 10 days upon returning home or test negative for COVID-19 no more than 72 hours before their arrival.

Almost 75 percent of new cases in Missouri are delta variant cases, the most common strain in the country currently, the Centers for Disease Control reported.