JB Pritzker said last week he anticipates the state's indoor mask mandate for venues that are not schools, hospitals and public transit will lift on Feb. 28 as COVID hospitalizations continue to drop. J.B. Pritzker's previously announced plans to end the Illinois mask mandate on the same date. Well, if you didnt know, now you know, Johnson said. Every dime we make fundsreportingfrom Chicagos neighborhoods. Asked if she was treated unfairly because of her race and gender, Lightfoot said: Im a black woman in America. We're talking about a matter of a few days is going to make a difference?". ], Lightfoot said she will not hesitate to impose new rules and mandates to protect public health in the future but said her goal is to never shut down our economy again.. She has encouraged residents to get vaccinated and warned about possible restrictions if the city sees spikes. Let's not play games with the numbers, and let's let the economy roll," said Leonard DeFranco, co-owner of Hawkeye's Bar And Grill. Oct. 8, 2021, 4:30 p.m. CT . Lightfoots loss is unusual for mayors in large cities, who have tended to win reelection with relative ease. The seven-day rolling averages for each category need to be at a "lower transmission" level, which is set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ruling is the latest chapter in McDonalds long legal saga regarding claims of racial discrimination. The citys positivity rate was 1.5%. But if the city gets to a position where itd be on pace to lift its mandates just a few days after the state ends its mask mandate, Chicago will cut short the two-week wait and end its own mask mandate and vaccine card requirement early, Arwady said. Heres what we know and what it means for schools, Chicago and the suburbs. Many school districts around the state have already gone mask-optional following recent court rulings school that temporarily suspended the mask rules for children whose families sued. Vallas served as an adviser to the Fraternal Order of Police during its negotiations with Lightfoots administration. "Their regulations are making it harder . This includes directly interviewing sources and research / analysis of primary source documents. As Illinois aims to lift its mask mandate by Feb. 28, Lori Lightfoot said the city is not there yet in regard to eliminating mask and vaccine card requirements, This Map Shows Exactly How the City of Chicago Voted for Mayor in the 2023 Election, Report: Jalen Carter Arrest Warrant Issued for Racing Car, Election Results: See How All 50 Wards Voted in Chicago's Aldermanic Elections, Who Did Your Ward Vote For? Here's what you should know as the mandates are removed. Chicago lifting mask and vaccine mandates on Feb. 28 but will keep masks in schools for now Rather than risk yet another confrontation with the Chicago Teachers Union, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez will follow the agreement they struck with CTU to end a dispute that canceled classes for five days last month. Some have been forced to close, while others have had to make major adjustments. CHICAGO Chicago is not on track to end its mask mandate Feb. 28, when the statewide mandate is set to end but the city might lift the requirement then, anyway. The seven-day average for new cases was 8,093 last Friday, down from an all-time high of 13,701 on January 7 but its still more than ten times the average at the end of October, when Gov. Noting that she caught a mild case of COVID-19, Lightfoot said she intends to continue wearing a mask, particularly in restaurants where diners will soon have no idea whether other customers are vaccinated. Suburban Cook County. The health care vaccination mandate is scheduled to run until November 2024. "Open it up now. "The Nanny" star Fran Drescher who is the current Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) president, alluded to the end of vaccine mandates in . As Lightfoot lifted her mandates, she told residents to respect the wishes of businesses that choose to require masks or proof-of-vaccination. CDPH recommends Chicagoans who may be immunocompromised or have a family member who is immunocompromised still wear a mask, as well residents under the age of 5 who are still not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Hospital beds: Chicago must have an average of 249 or fewer beds occupied by COVID-19 patients per day. J.B. Pritzkers announcement earlier this month that he will lift his mask requirement for most indoor public places at the end of February should the states most recent and largest COVID-19 surge continue to subside. When you get a party of five or six that comes in, three or four might have the vaccine and a couple dont. Chicagos health department then announced it would also aim to end the citys mask and vaccine card mandates by the end of the month, though Chicago would have to hit three out of four milestones for at least two weeks for that to happen. City data shows more than 1.8 million Chicagoans or 68.2 percent of all residents are fully vaccinated, and 76.1 percent of all Chicagoans have gotten at least one shot. COVID-19 lab-confirmed cases (now 283 cases per day in Chicago) remain just above the historic lower risk range but this is offset by the much higher testing and very low-test positivity. As of Tuesday, the citys test positivity rate of 1.5%, was in the low transmission category, while its rate of occupied hospital and ICU beds was in lower transmission. The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases was still at substantial transmission at 283 cases, but all those categories were decreasing. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces Feb. 22, 2022, that the city will be ending its indoor mask requirement in most locations on Feb. 28. Illinois and Chicago have administered at least 20,909,741 vaccine doses of the 23,455,645 provided to them. At Charbella Salon in Lakeview, customers wore masks while getting their hair done, as did their stylist. "If it is not the 28th it won't be long after would be my expectation," she explained. Got a story tip? All Rights Reserved. If the federal measure ends, the legal battle over New York's state mandate will determine if the shots are required of health . The safety agreement with the teachers union mandates masks in schools until August. Police have not yet made any arrests. It does not apply to visitors. Masks are also now optional for attendees. The clerk's office keeps city records and makes them publicly accessible, and it keeps Chicagoans informed about City Council happenings. ICU beds: Chicago must have an average of 99 or fewer ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients per day. What to Know About the Cook County Commissioner After Advancing to the Runoff Election. He knows how hes going to do it.. We look forward to the day when we can be mask-optional at CPS, but we still need to get more students vaccinated across our District, and we still need to work with our public health and labor partners on the best way to preserve a safe in-person learning environment for all., The CTU said in a statement it was glad that CPS will continueto honor the safety agreement that our members sacrificed four days of pay [for] last month despite a right-wing legal attack to remove public health protections.. JB Pritzker set for state. That's just that's just how it isAnd we're getting really close and that is thanks to Chicagoans.". In Chicago, 24 deaths were reported since Monday. The head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Dr. Allison Arwady, said that in a gathering of 50 people, there is now a 1-in-5 chance that someone in that group has COVID-19, versus a 1-in-2 chance a week ago. We look forward to the day when we can be mask-optional at CPS, but we still need to get more students vaccinated across our district, and we still need to work with our public health and labor partners on the best way to preserve a safe in-person learning environment for all.. The vaccination requirement that went into effect at Chicago bars and restaurants on January 3 and has caused controversy in some communities since then will be lifted as soon as the citys COVID-19 spread decreases substantially, possibly by spring, Dr. Allison Arwady, the citys public health commissioner, said at a question-and-answer session last week. Eli Lilly cuts insulin prices up to 70% amid pressure to slash costs, Jurors to visit Murdaugh crime scene ahead of closing arguments, $1M winning Powerball ticket sold in Chicago. Also, some venues may continue to impose their own mitigation efforts to keep their clients and customers safe. The requirement forced restaurants and bars already struggling with a shortage of staff to reassign some workers to check vaccination cards and IDs or ask beleaguered wait staff to do it. She also said she will continue to wear a mask in public. The end of the. We have made great progress in recent weeks against this virus, and we do not want to jeopardize that progress by moving too quickly, the district said in a statement released later Tuesday. Deaths were down 51 % over the last week from 9.7 last week to 4.7. Many residents may continue to wear masks in public spaces for a variety of reasons even if they are vaccinated or as more mandates and advisories fade. Chicago's top doctor 'hopeful' COVID-19 vaccine mandate for restaurants and public venues will end by spring By Alice Yin and Dan Petrella Chicago Tribune Jan 20, 2022 at 2:14 pm Expand. Based on key data, it looks as if the worst of the Omicron surge is behind us and we will be able to safely remove these emergency measures instituted to protect the health and safety of our residents, said Mayor Lightfoot. That could mean Chicagos mask mandate will hang around after the state lifts its restriction, Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said Tuesday. Thats my personal choice, Lightfoot said. There have been at least 7,136 deaths from COVID-19 in Chicago. By February 28, assuming declines continue in the 7-day rolling average, the city will have been in the lower risk range for two weeks and able to lift these restrictions. Chicago is currently at high, the top of the scale. Rita DiPietro, who lives downtown, said she supported Lightfoot in 2019. Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Feb. 22, 2022, as she announces the city will be ending its indoor mask requirement in most locations on Feb. 28. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady explained she is relying on a set of metrics to determine when restrictions can be lifted, and three out of four key metrics must be met to move forward with easing restrictions. The candidates all talk about what theyd like to do, she said. It has been difficult. Jason Statham, Hugh Grant and Aubrey Plaza star in an inconsequential serving of empty cinematic calories. I want people to understand were not just choosing a date; were going based on when were there.. DeFranco is not the only one frustrated; another restaurant owner said if the city mandates go past Feb. 28, she's not going to enforce them. Gov. After those two weeks, if the numbers remain within the lower transmission category, then officials would move to remove mitigations that are in place. Universal masking in CPS is part of an agreement with the teachers union that was sealed following its January work stoppage that resulted in five days of canceled classes. Every dime we make fundsreportingfrom Chicagos neighborhoods. SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher gave a speech at the 2023 SAG Awards Sunday night urging Hollywood to use its power to end its "bulls - - t" COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Vallas, a former schools CEO backed by the police union, and Johnson, a Cook County commissioner endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, advanced to the April 4 runoff after none of the nine candidates was able to secure over 50% of the vote to win outright. Copyright 2023 WLS-TV. In September, for instance, she dismissed a proposal for such a mandate from Ald. Some said by the end of the month isn't soon enough. In those areas, masks are no longer necessary, according to the agency. Face masks on the Chicago Riverwalk last year. Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, holds a face mask while speaking on Feb. 22, 2022. She also noted that the city had navigated unprecedented challenges such as the pandemic and its economic and public safety fallout to protests over policing. The city only reached that point on Monday, Block Club reports, but Arwady said that transmission rates have been dropping steadily and precipitously in the past few weeks. The news was met with mixed reactions. sent-trib.com All rights reserved. Lightfoot, the first Black woman and first openly gay person to lead the city, won her first term in 2019 after promising to end decades of corruption and backroom dealing at City Hall. It frustrates me. Arwady: Our cases remain in high transmission, but we're getting very close to substantial territory. But there are less than two weeks to go before Feb. 28 and Chicagos only hit one of its goals so far. The moves bring Chicago in line with Gov. The mayor noted that masks would continue to be required on public transit, in health care settings and in other congregate spaces, following federal mandates and CDC guidance. But in a 2020 radio interview, Johnson said defunding is not just a slogan but an actual real political goal, and he sponsored a nonbinding resolution on the county board to redirect money from policing and jails to social services. Bowling Green, OH 43402 But if theres a week or more of difference between when the state drops its mandate and when Chicago is supposed to, the city will keep its mandates in place for the full two weeks, Arwady said. It's unclear when face mask and COVID vaccine requirements will be lifted in the city. Sources Cited. As of February 21, the 7-day-rolling-average test positivity (now 1.5% in Chicago), hospital COVID-19 census, and ICU COVID-19 census have all reached the pre-defined lower risk category, meaning they have been in an acceptable lower risk range for the last week. Heres what we know and what it means for schools, Chicago and the suburbs. He also said he wasnt responsible for the liked tweets, which he called abhorrent, and suggested someone had improperly accessed his account. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Its reporting an average of 115 per day. Since Monday, 53 Illinoisans were reported dead from COVID-19. The Cook County Department of Public Health said it also anticipates that if key metrics continue to improve, the vaccination and masking orders for suburban Cook County, less Evanston, Skokie, Oak Park and Stickney Township, can be lifted in the same timeframe Pritzker laid out Wednesday. That is their right. But rather than risk yet another confrontation with the Chicago Teachers Union and with vaccination rates varying dramatically between school communities Lightfoot and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said they will abide by the agreement struck with CTU that ended a dispute that canceled classes for five days last month. 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