These States Were Just Added Back on to Chicago's Travel Advisory List

Alison Fox
·2 min read
Chicago O'Hare
Chicago O'Hare

DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images

California and Mississippi have been re-added to Chicago's travel advisory list due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in both states.

States that exceed 15 new cases per day, per 100,000 residents are deemed "high risk" and become eligible for Chicago's travel advisory list, which encourages a host of precautions for travelers.

Unvaccinated travelers coming from "high risk" states and territories are asked to get tested one to three days before arriving and three to five days after travel. They're also asked to quarantine upon their return for a full seven days, even if they test negative.

South Carolina, Texas, and the Virgin Islands were also removed from the travel advisory — bringing the list to 41 states and 1 territory

The city's travel advisory list has evolved starting in mid-July when it added states for the first time since June 1. In September, Chicago had classified every state and territory as "high risk."

Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady told the Chicago Tribune that the reason for such frequent movement on and off of the list is so travelers are aware of rising and falling COVID-19 numbers and are actively taking precautions.

"The movement of some states on and off our COVID travel advisory these past two weeks, and the ups and downs in daily COVID case rates show that this is no time for complacency," Arwady said.

The state of Illinois is not part of the Chicago travel advisory list so as not to restrict intrastate movement. Currently, Illinois has 16.5 daily cases per 100,000 people.

In August Chicago also reinstated an indoor mask mandate requiring all visitors to wear a mask in indoor settings, regardless of their vaccination status. Illinois Gov. Jay J.B. Pritzker is hopeful to have the mask mandate removed for the Holiday season, but for now, it still stands.

For its part, Chicago has recorded 11.5 daily cases per 100,000 people as of Nov. 2 with a 1.7% average test positivity rate, according to the city. Illinois currently has 60.5% of its population fully vaccinated.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.