As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is threatening to reinstate more public health restrictions. The city’s number of daily cases recently rose from 34 to 90 cases per day. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced, on July 20, 2021, that if cases continue to rise, she will have to put more restrictions in place.
Travel Restrictions
Only two days ago, Mayor Lightfoot announced that Missouri and Arkansas were placed back on Chicago’s travel restriction list. Any unvaccinated person from either state is required to either report a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours or quarantine for ten days. On July 21, 2021, Mayor Lightfoot added more states to the list — Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Concerns About Outdoor Events
Additionally, Chicago’s famous Lollapalooza music festival is set for July 29 through August 1. However, Mayor Lightfoot is concerned that the festival could become a superspreader event. Despite her concerns, she stated that she is confident in her decision to let Lollapalooza continue.
On the other hand, Lightfoot is stressing the need to continue public health measures. She mentioned that if the city’s case average continues to rise, the virus may further mutate. Although the COVID-19 vaccine protects people from current strains of the virus, no one can be sure that future mutations will have the same reaction to the vaccine. In other words, there is a chance that if COVID-19 mutates again, vaccinated people would be vulnerable. As a result, Mayor Lightfoot is encouraging Chicagoans to continue wearing masks, otherwise, the city may reinstate previous COVID-19 safety measures be reinstated.
Written by Reginae Echols
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Chicago Tribune: Chicago expands travel advisory again and mayor warns restrictions could return as COVID-19 numbers creep up; by John Byrne
Featured Image Courtesy of Prachtai’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Province of British Columbia’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
