Emergency Travel Order

Original publish date: July 2, 2020. 
Updated: October 28, 2020

On Thursday, July 2, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued an Emergency Travel Order directing travelers entering or returning to Chicago from states experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state. This includes both Chicago residents returning from travel to a designated state, and travelers arriving in Chicago from a designated state. The Order went into effect on Monday July 6, 2020, at 12:01 am.

Per the Order, subject to limited exceptions, travelers from the following states must quarantine upon arrival in Chicago: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah.   Starting July 14, 2020, an updated list of designated states will be published by the CDPH every Tuesday with the Order effective for those states the following Friday.   

The University expects all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to comply with the Order, and to frequently visit the CDPH’s site to determine if the state you plan to travel to/from is a designated state. Please note that the list of effective states applies to the time of arrival in Chicago, not the time of departure, so plan accordingly. 

For any questions about these requirements, please review the City of Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order and or contact the following:

• Supervisors should consult with the office of Human Resources at HRBP@northwestern.edu to address department level or employee specific concerns
• Faculty and staff, contact the Office of Human Resources at HRBP@northwestern.edu
• Graduate and Undergraduate students, contact the Return to Campus team at returntocampusteam@northwestern.edu or call 847-467-4111