Corinne Puchalla, a pharmacist with the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, prepares the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in the vaccine pharmacy center that will be given to people at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on Feb. 8, 2021.
Travelers from more than a dozen states and territories, including Illinois neighbors Wisconsin and Indiana, no longer will face COVID-19 test restrictions upon arriving in Chicago under the city’s latest travel order update, officials announced Tuesday.
Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin will be bumped down from the “orange tier” to the “yellow tier,” according to a statement from the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Also in this week’s travel order update, Alaska moved up from the yellow to the more restrictive orange tier.
That will leave 31 states in the orange tier, which requires a 10-day quarantine or negative coronavirus test no more than 72 hours before arrival. The yellow category, which will have 18 states and two territories, has no restrictions.
The orange category includes states or territories that have a seven-day rolling average above 15 daily cases per 100,000 residents, while yellow states are under that threshold.
Starting this week, another way to avoid the orange tier restrictions is to be fully vaccinated and not have coronavirus symptoms, CDPH said. Being vaccinated means having received the second dose of a two-dose regimen at least two weeks earlier, or one dose of a single-dose vaccine at least two weeks earlier.
But vaccinated travelers are not completely free of coronavirus mitigations yet, the public health department said. CDPH recommends they continue to wear a mask, social distance, wash their hands and avoid crowds.
“Though the Chicago case numbers have dropped of late, this is not a time to let our guard down,” CDPH’s statement said. “To maintain the current trajectory, we must double down on what we know prevents COVID spread.”
The travel order is updated every two weeks and goes into effect Friday at midnight. Essential workers traveling for their job are exempt, as are people traveling for medical or care-taking reasons. People passing through the orange states for less than 24 hours also are exempt unless their final destination is that state.
The travel order was implemented over the Fourth of July weekend, but officials have said the list is meant to educate residents and have not strictly enforced it.
Alden Estates of Northmoor, Chicago
Linda Fitzgerald, a resident of Alden Estates of Northmoor, right, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from pharmacy lead Anneliese Szutenbach at the nursing home on Jan. 8 in Chicago.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. makes a fist after Dr. Kiran Chekka, right, of Roseland Community Hospital injected him with the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the parking lot of Roseland Community Hospital on Jan. 8.
Alden Estates of Northmoor, Chicago
Robin Meier, a resident at Alden Estates of Northmoor, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from pharmacy lead Anneliese Szutenbach at the nursing home on Jan. 8 in Chicago.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
Staff member Pam Domdey helps a senior Dino Franceschina keep warm as he waits to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care nursing home in North Riverside on Jan. 12.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
A COVID-19 vaccine is prepped for a senior citizen at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care nursing home in North Riverside on Jan. 12.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
Dino Franceschina receives a COVID-19 vaccine at Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside on Jan. 12.
Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care, North Riverside
Betty Hermanek winces as she receives her COVID-19 vaccine at the Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care in North Riverside, Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Luther Oaks, Bloomington
Decatur Walgreens pharmacist Kim Crawford mixes the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before it is injected into the arms of Luther Oaks staff and residents, Friday, Jan. 15.
Luther Oaks, Bloomington
Bhaumik Thakkar, the pharmacy manager from the Decatur Walgreens on Friday gives Myrtle Armstrong, 102, who lives at Luther Oaks in Bloomington, the COVID-19 vaccine. Armstrong is among the first long-care residents in McLean County to receive the vaccine. Luther Oaks Executive Director Douglas Rutter was able to procure doses for 218 residents, staff and family caregivers through the federal vaccination program.
Luther Oaks, Bloomington
Decatur Walgreens pharmacist Kim Crawford, left, and Bhaumik Thakkar, pharmacy manager, mix the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before injecting it into the arms of Luther Oaks staff and residents, Friday, Jan. 15.
Drive-through vaccination clinic, Decatur
Leanna Cossman of the Macon County Health Department gives the Moderna coronavirus vaccine to Elisa Houston during the Drive-Through COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic on Dec. 30 at the Decatur Airport.
