Vacationers who want to avoid coronavirus hot spots have a new tool. The Illinois Department of Public Health has released a travel guide that shows which states and countries with increased risk of COVID-19 due to case rates.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said the map can be useful with choosing a safe place to vacation.
“If you are opportune to be taking a vacation and you have some choice in the matter, please take a look at this map,” Ezike said. “It’s some simple guidance. Maybe it will help you make a choice to pick one location over another.”
Ezike added that airports, bus and train stations, and rest stops are all places travelers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces. The more people a traveler comes into contact with, especially interactions for longer periods of time, the greater the risk of infection if they are exposed to someone with COVID-19.
Locations that have an average daily case rate of 15 cases per 100,000 or greater are designated as “high risk” on the map, which can be found on the IDPH website or here http://www.dph.illinois.gov/covid19/travel.
According to the guide, Illinois’ neighboring states get varying grades. Wisconsin, Indiana and Kentucky are states considered with lower risk, while Iowa and Missouri are considered high-risk states. Nationally, Florida and Georgia have the highest case rate per 100,000. Globally, numerous countries in South America are considered high risk areas.
Chicago has issued its own emergency travel order directing travelers entering or returning to Chicago from certain states experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases to quarantine for 14 days from the time of their last contact with the identified state.
As of Aug. 18, those states were Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Puerto Rico.