LaPorte Mayor Tom Dermody, a Republican, likewise rejected the implication that his city isn’t doing all it can to combat the coronavirus.

“We take this pandemic very seriously and are sparing no effort to help protect the health and safety of our residents,” Dermody said. “Fighting COVID-19 is our No. 1 priority, and we will do what we can to keep residents healthy while also keeping the economy going.”

In fact, according to Chicago’s travel quarantine list, the COVID-19 infection rate for Illinois ranks higher than Indiana, meaning travel from the remainder of Illinois into Chicago, and Chicago into Illinois, should be subject to quarantine as well.

Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s state health commissioner, appointed by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, said even under the best of circumstances COVID-19 cases will rise and fall intermittently.

“We have times where we have more hot spots, and other states, like Illinois, have times where they have more hot spots,” Box said. “What we continue to focus on here as the state of Indiana is what we know works.”

Box said that includes the governor’s directive to wear masks in public places; following social distancing guidelines, even in reopened restaurants and bars; instructing people to stay home when they are sick; making COVID-19 testing widely available; and contact tracing individuals who have been exposed to someone who tests positive for the coronavirus.