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. Arwady: Our cases remain in high transmission, but we're getting very close to substantial territory. Here are key takeaways from the night. The announcement follows Gov. City officials say that once three of the preceding four metrics hit the lower transmission level, that will start a two-week clock, known as an incubation cycle.. Lightfoot, Johnson and five other candidates are Black, though Lightfoot argued she was the only Black candidate who could win. In a gathering of 50 people, she said during the mayors announcement, there is a one-in-five chance someone has COVID-19, as opposed to one-in-two, as it was a week ago. We really dont know.. Chicago is currently at high, the top of the scale. Vaccines protect you and the people around you, reducing the spread of COVID-19. Crime was an issue that resonated with voters. Cook Countys public health department, which covers most of the countys suburbs, announced it would follow suit, lifting its general mask mandate and proof-of-vaccine requirement on Monday, as well as its requirement that employees of establishments such as restaurants and gyms be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. Still, a lawsuit by CPS parents in Mount Greenwood against the mandate could impact the situation going forward. What to Know About the Cook County Commissioner After Advancing to the Runoff Election. Since Monday, 103,189 tests were reported statewide. As cases rose in October 2020, for instance, she regularly warned about tighter restrictions being forthcoming then criticized Pritzker for again shutting down indoor dining. Vallas, a former schools CEO backed by the police union, and Johnson, a Cook . That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 3,004,664. See How All 50 Wards Voted in the 2023 Chicago Mayoral Election, All Eyes On a Strong' System That Could Hit Chicago Area Friday, But Much Uncertainty Remains, Who is Brandon Johnson? "February 28 is obviously the date that the state set; it's not the date that the city set.". He knows how hes going to do it.. Got a story tip? Illinois, Cook County and Chicago mask mandates and other COVID regulations before restrictions will be widely lifted Monday. Burglars this month hit four Asian restaurants Imm Rice and Beyond, Nhu Lan Bakery & Sandwiches, China Cafe, and Hunan Egg Roll King and two other businesses in a sweep of break-ins this month in Uptown, according to Block Club. CHICAGO (AP) Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters on Tuesday denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, issuing a rebuke to a leader who made history as head of the nation's third-largest city. JB Pritzker said Wednesday. She has encouraged residents to get vaccinated and warned about possible restrictions if the city sees spikes. Suburban Cook County. The clerk's office keeps city records and makes them publicly accessible, and it keeps Chicagoans informed about City Council happenings. School districts, too, may decide to implement their own mask mandates. As of Monday, Chicagoans will no longer be required to show proof of. The risk is down to a point where it is appropriate to lift the mandates, Arwady said. Scott Weiner, partner 19 Chicago restaurants including West Town Bakery, said removing the mask mandate could be a major step toward normalcy. Associated Press writers Claire Savage and Teresa Crawford in Chicago contributed to this report. Lightfoot touted her record of investing in neighborhoods and supporting workers, such as by increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Currently, Chicago has a mask mandate in place for indoor settings, along with a requirement that patrons in specific indoor establishments show a proof of COVID-19 vaccination in order to gain entry. But Arwady noted that the full two-week period may not be reached before the lifting begins. Johnson received about $1 million from the Chicago Teachers Union for his campaign and had support from several other progressive organizations, including United Working Families. Its reporting an average of 376 per day. Mask mandates are being lifted across Illinois, including in Chicago . This article contains new, firsthand information uncovered by its reporter(s). Lightfoots announcement was widely expected. After those two weeks, if the numbers remain within the lower transmission category, then officials would move to remove mitigations that are in place. Since Monday, 53 Illinoisans were reported dead from COVID-19. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast). SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, speaking during Sunday's SAG Awards, called on Hollywood to flex its economic muscles to democratize states where civil and human rights are under attack. Something went wrong. Aaron Rodgers hasnt won a super bowl since Obamas first term, the tweet notes. It makes me angry," he said. At the United Center, all attendees includingChicago BullsandBlackhawksfans will be required to presentproof of vaccination or a negative COVID test to gain access to the venue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has four levels of community transmission. The treasurer's office oversees the city's $9 billion investment portfolio, and the treasurer records the city's finances and shares reports on them with City Council. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune). In all cases, thieves sought to take cash out of registers or tip jars. We would not have been in a position even a few weeks ago to be making this kind of announcement today.. Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., announced today that the City will remove the mask and vaccine requirements for certain public spaces on February 28 to align with the State of Illinois previously announced plans to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate on that day. City officials later said, however, that they would consider going forward with dropping the mandate even if they hadnt hit those totals to avoid confusion for residents. JB Pritzker . 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. Proof of vaccination would no longer be required for patrons of restaurants, bars and gyms, along with the indoor mask mandates applying to those spaces in the city. In Illinois, about 8 million people or 63.18 percent of the states 12.7 million people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to state data. DeFranco is among many restaurant owners feeling left in the dark. Clickhereto support Block Clubwith atax-deductible donation. She joined LX News to talk about mask restrictions and what loosening them could mean for the nation. 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. Some said by the end of the month isn't soon enough. Were going back to a sense of normalcy. The citys positivity rate was 1.5%. 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. The mayor acknowledged that the mask and proof of vaccine mandates have been a challenge to enforce and a challenge to the bottom lines of restaurants. While Chicago lifted its mask mandate Monday, is the proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirement removed now, as well? JB Pritzker said 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. Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, holds a face mask while speaking on Feb. 22, 2022. "We are almost down to these lower risk levels," the doctor explained, in part. "As the nation . ICU beds: Chicago must have an average of 99 or fewer ICU beds occupied by COVID-19 patients per day. Could happen as soon as today.Test positivity is in lower transmission.Hospital beds in yellow (substantial), heading toward blue (lower). pic.twitter.com/kGG0dgPvn1, Chicago has met the goal for its positivity rate, and it could meet the goal for ICU beds within a day or two, Arwady said. If we are not able to move on the 28th, I think it would probably be not very long after that.. That is their right. Also, some venues may continue to impose their own mitigation efforts to keep their clients and customers safe. But COVID numbers in the city are plunging; daily cases have fallen 95% from their peak in late December. Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, called Tuesdays announcement an encouraging sign of better times ahead for Chicagos restaurant community. But there are less than two weeks to go before Feb. 28 and Chicagos only hit one of its goals so far. CHICAGO Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and Public Health Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D., announced today that the City will remove the mask and vaccine requirements for certain public spaces on February 28 to align with the State of Illinois previously announced plans to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate on that day. 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. The former teacher and union organizer has argued that the answer to addressing crime is not more money for police but more investment in mental health care, education, jobs and affordable housing, and he was accused by rivals such as Lightfoot of wanting to defund the police. The health care vaccination mandate is scheduled to run until November 2024. The health commissioner expects the city to hit its goal for non-ICU hospital beds just a little behind that.. Gov. Well, if you didnt know, now you know, Johnson said. While Chicago lifted its mask mandate Monday, is the proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirement removed now, as well? school that temporarily suspended the mask rules, Ald. Plus, the Wieners Circle celebrates the Packers loss, and Peanut Park is a taste of Chicago history. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidance Fridayto show 70% of the nation's counties at low or medium risk for COVID. That would mean Chicago could shortly have three out of four goals ticked off and would just need to wait two weeks to lift its mandates, under its own rules. Chicagos mask and vaccination requirements will end on Monday, February 28, the same day the state mask mandate is lifted, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced yesterday. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune). Across the state, 23,110 vaccine doses are being administered per day, based on a seven-day rolling average. Similarly, hospitalization rates are a fraction of what they were at the height of the omicron surge, when more people were admitted to hospitals than at any time during pandemic most unvaccinated, she said. By submitting your email, you agree to our, The freshest news from the local food world, Chicago Restaurant Vaccine Mandate Could Be Lifted By Spring Whatever That Means, Sign up for the While COVID case numbers and hospitalizations have been on a downward trend in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot won't commit to eliminating the mask and vaccine mandate in indoor spaces by the end of the month, in line with the state's plan. When you get a party of five or six that comes in, three or four might have the vaccine and a couple dont. Brian Jupiter, the chef and owner of Ina Mae Tavern & Packaged Goods in Wicker Park and the Frontier in Pulaski Park, won this weeks episode of Food Network cooking show Chopped, a special Black History Month celebration, the Tribune reports. All rights reserved, 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, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its masking guidance Friday, Election Results: See How All 50 Wards Voted in Chicago's Aldermanic Elections, Who Did Your Ward Vote For? Clickhereto support Block Clubwith atax-deductible donation. The home popcorn will be available in select Walmart stores on March 11, the day before the 95th Academy Awards. Its at 2 percent. Two days after a devastating fire destroyed Twisted Hippo Brewery in Albany Park, supporters and fellow craft beer makers have raised nearly $138,000 on GoFundMe to help displaced staff and help cover repair costs. On the North Side, business owners aren't satisfied with the still-uncertain plan. The safety agreement with the teachers union mandates masks in schools until August. February 10, 2022 Chicago and Cook County health officials announced plans to revoke pandemic masking and vaccination entry requirements by Feb. 28, the day Illinois' statewide mask mandate. As a news piece, this article cites verifiable, third-party sources which have all been thoroughly fact-checked and deemed credible by the Newsroom. Allens company sued McDonalds in May 2021 , alleging that the chain almost exclusively spends ad dollars with white-owned television stations, thus discriminating against Black-owned networks like his own. 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