Chicago to quarantine all arrivals from U.S. states with COVID-19 surges

[July 03, 2020]    (Reuters) - Chicago will quarantine for 14 days all arrivals from U.S. states where coronavirus cases are surging, its Public Health Commissioner said late on Thursday, as the country reported a record number of new infections.

A man walks by a sign in front of the closed Chicago Board of Trade as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., April 23, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

Allison Arwady said the directive will take effect on Monday.

It currently covers 15 states, including California, Florida, Texas and Arizona, and it makes provision for adding or removing states as their coronavirus caseloads change, according to the city's official website https://bit.ly/2VDVLO7.

Cases are currently rising in 37 out of 50 U.S. states, leading several governors to halt or back-pedal on plans to end lockdowns.

On Thursday, the country reported more than 55,000 new COVID-19 cases, a global record.

The Chicago order will stay in effect until further notice and violation is subject to fines of $100-$500 per day, up to a maximum of $7,000.

The United States has recorded nearly 129,000 deaths from COVID-19, nearly a quarter of the known global death toll, and about 2.76 million cases, according to a Reuters tally.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; editing by John Stonestreet)

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