CHICAGO – For the first time since the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) began issuing its Emergency Travel Order in July of 2020, no states are in the “orange” tier that would necessitate a quarantine, full vaccination, or a negative COVID test for anyone arriving in Chicago. Due to improving conditions around the country and the ongoing up-take of the COVID-19 vaccine, no states are above the 15 cases per 100,000 residents per day threshold.

Seven states that had been in the orange tier when the previous Travel Order was issued two weeks ago have moved to the yellow tier. Those states are Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, West Virginia and Washington.

Based on current data, the only states that are above 10 cases a day per 100,000 residents are Washington, Colorado, Wyoming, and West Virginia. No Midwest states are above 7.9 cases per day, per 100,000 residents:

“This shows that what we have been doing to protect ourselves and others is working: social distancing, wearing masks, and above all, getting vaccinated,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. “This is good news, but by no means does it signal that we can drop our defenses against COVID-19.”

Since January 17, when the first Chicagoans who received a COVID-19 vaccine were considered fully vaccinated against the disease, 98 percent of the Chicagoans who have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and 98 percent of COVID-related deaths of Chicago residents, were among those who were not fully vaccinated.

“Until you are vaccinated, no matter where you live or where you travel, you are still at risk,” said Dr. Arwady. “COVID-19 vaccinations are safe and effective, and we continue working to make sure vaccinations are available in every part of Chicago.”

Chicago’s quarantine list is updated every other Tuesday and goes into effect the following Friday at 12:01 a.m. The list will be updated again on Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

The CDC advises people delay travel until they are fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated and must travel, follow CDC’s recommendations for unvaccinated people: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html.

Even if you are fully vaccinated you are expected to continue to adhere to masking rules: Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.

The guidance for each tier is:

• Yellow: States with a rolling 7-day average less than 15 cases/day/100k residents.
• No quarantine or pre-arrival test required. Maintain strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings
• Orange: States have a rolling 7-day average above 15 cases/day/100k residents 

• 10-day quarantine OR negative test no earlier than 72 hours before arrival in Chicago with strict masking, social distancing and avoidance of in-person gatherings
  or
• Be fully vaccinated, as defined as two weeks after the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine or two weeks after one dose of a single-dose vaccine and not have symptoms

We continue to closely monitor the spread of COVID-19 in other regions across the country. For more information, visit chicago.gov/coronavirus.

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