Chicago Mayor warns of possible quarantine for Indiana tourists

NOW: Chicago Mayor warns of possible quarantine for Indiana tourists
NEXT:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - The South Shore Line is a popular way for people in South Bend to quickly get to Chicago. That could be for work or to see family, or just to visit the Windy City and vice versa, but with Indiana seeing record increases in its number of new Coronavirus cases each day, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot may be throwing a wrench into those travel plans.

Mayor Lightfoot announced this week that if Indiana does not get its daily new case count down before next week, she will add Indiana to Chicago's list of hot spot states, meaning people coming to Chicago from Indiana would have to quarantine for 14 days before going out and about in the city.

"Indiana is seeing a daily case average of over 15 cases/100k/day," Mayor Lightfoot said in a press release. "To allow residents enough time to plan travel to this border state, it has been added to a warning list. If Indiana is unable to bring down the daily case average in the next week, they will be added to the quarantine list. Chicago residents are strongly advised to not travel to Indiana."

Mayor Lightfoot said Indiana must get its average new case per 100 thousand per day down to below five by next week or it will be added to the hot spot list, but Diana Foster, who frequently visits South Bend from Chicago to see her daughter, said this policy would not be the right move.

"I think that at this point in time, there's obviously my daughter, and I'm going to see her," Foster said. "I think it's crazy. I just don't think people should be locked up like that."

Mayor Lightfoot said those found in violation of the quarantine policy would be subject to a fine of anywhere from $100 to $500 per day up to $7,000 in total. but Foster said the policy can't be enforced.

"First of all, are they going to come knock on everybody's door?" Foster said. "How do they know, unless we tell them, that we've been to Indiana? It's not a reasonable statement."

Mayor Lightfoot said this policy would take effect if Indiana's number of new daily case counts does not start trending down by next week.

Share this article: