Wisconsin is the latest state to be added to the city’s emergency travel order.
On Monday afternoon, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city would be adding Wisconsin to the city’s emergency travel order — which means visitors will have to quarantine for at least two weeks upon arrival.
At this moment, there are 18 states listed on Chicago’s emergency travel order — which dictates that visitors from those areas must undertake a mandatory two-week quarantine upon arrival. The statement came forth after the mayor had announced a $33-million housing assistance expansion program that would support Chicagoans in rent and mortgage relief. When prompted by a question regarding a possible second national shutdown, Lightfoot announced that Wisconsin would become the 19th state starting this week.
“What we’re seeing is cities and towns — particularly across the South through the Southwest and on to California — really having significant struggles now because many of those communities took a very different approach to the one that Chicago took. We’re also seeing an increase in states around us. Wisconsin, for example, is gonna go on our quarantine list later this week,” said Mayor Lightfoot.
“Even in the suburban Cook area we have some concerns about what we’re seeing . . . My hope, however, is that we will all work in concert to really go back to what got us to a position of safety: social distancing, wearing face coverings in public, making sure you’re exercising hand hygiene. COVID-19 is very much real. It is dangerous. It is part of our present and it’s gonna be part of our future. So we need to make sure we’re doing the steps now that are necessary to start to slow again the spread of this virus.”
States on Chicago’s emergency travel order include: California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and more. As of this moment, Indiana is not on that list, although Lightfoot said in the press conference that her organization was “watching all of our neighbors very carefully.”
The travel order pertains to travelers from listed states, as well as Chicago citizens returning from said states. Essential workers have the opportunity to exempt themselves from the quarantine so long as they are able have written confirmation that their presence in Chicago is necessary to perform their work, or, if they are a resident of Chicago returning from one of those states in which their presence was necessary — written confirmation will also be required in this case.
Those who defy the travel order quarantine mandate will be subject to fines up to $500 daily up to $7,000.
See also: City Announces $33 Million Housing Assistance Program To Support Rent, Mortgage Relief
[Featured image: @kadecoolidge.photography]