Chicago Says Cheeseheads Must Quarantine Before Visiting
Admitting there really is no mechanism in place for enforcement, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has added Wisconsin to a growing list of states whose visitors are being asked to quarantine.
If you're a Wisconsinite, don't take this too personally (not that I'm worried that you would). Wisconsin is only one of 4 more states added to Chicago's "emergency travel order."
Missouri, North Dakota, and Nebraska have also been added as of this morning.
There are now 22 states on the list: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.
So, in practical terms, what does this emergency travel order mean?
It means that, beginning this Friday, travelers entering or returning to Chicago from the states on the list must quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state.
However, those who've been labeled as essential workers and individuals who are commuting from Wisconsin to Chicago for the purpose of work will be exempt.
What happens if you ignore order and show up in Chicago anyway?
Well...that's the thing, here. If you violate the order, you could be fined $100 to $500 a day, up to $7,000 total. But...Chicago city brass admit that they have no way to keep track of people who visit the city or whether they've complied with the order or not.