Cook County implements travel order for suburbs

COOK COUNTY – Illinois saw its biggest daily jump in COVID-19 cases in six weeks on Friday.

There were more than 1,300 positive cases reported, with more than 40,000 tests completed in the state.

Due to the increase in cases, Cook County is taking no risk and jumping on the Chicago coronavirus travel order.

Robbins Mayor Tyrone Ward says coronavirus cases in Robbins village have remained low.

“We have had 72 total cases and four deaths,” Ward said.

With a population of about 5,500, Ward hopes to keep the deadly virus at bay.

“I think we have been blessed and lucky, and people have joined us and have been very cooperative,” Ward said.

On Friday, the Mayor received a notice from the Cook County Department of Public Health that anyone visiting or returning to the Cook County suburb from any of the 15 states with increasing numbers of coronavirus cases must be quarantined for 14 days.

“They want municipalities to be responsible for keeping up with people in quarantine,” Ward said.

There are some places that have their own public health departments that are excluded, such as Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park, and Stickney Township.

Ward is left trying to figure out how to monitor anyone who has traveled to make sure they don’t leave their homes because there were no specific guidelines on how to do so.

“To keep up with whether this person is going somewhere, if he is leaving his home, it is practically impossible to add that extra burden,” Ward said.