Currently the test positivity is in the lower transmission range, with ICU availability and hospital availability possibly moving into the lower transmission category soon, Dr. Arwady said. "It riles me. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 3,004,664. 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. 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? Please enter a valid email and try again. Even by the mayors own standards for lifting mitigations, Chicago now passes the test with flying colors. All Rights Reserved. Lightfoot said the city is "making tremendous progress" in bringing down COVID-19 cases, but added that 500 cases per day is "not where we want to be," saying "we're still seeing too many people dying every day from COVID. The clerk's office keeps city records and makes them publicly accessible, and it keeps Chicagoans informed about City Council happenings. "Really? "Their regulations are making it harder . Come Monday, the indoor mask mandate will be lifted statewide, as well as in Chicago, where the city's proof-of-vaccination requirement will also end. Its been two years since Illinois legalized recreational marijuana, and since then, cannabis-related calls to the Illinois Poison Center have nearly doubled, the Tribune reports, from 487 in 2019 to 855 in 2021. The National Weather Service is tracking a storm that could bring a decent accumulation of snow. Deaths were down 51 % over the last week from 9.7 last week to 4.7. Gov. Were going back to a sense of normalcy. Lightfoot resisted proof-of-vaccine mandates until Jan. 3, long after other cities such as New York had implemented similar policies. The city of Chicago plans to end both its indoor mask mandate and its proof-of-vaccination mandate by the end of the month, in line with Illinois' timeline to drop the statewide indoor mask . 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. Since Monday, 103,189 tests were reported statewide. A federal judge last week denied a request from Chicago-based fast food giant McDonalds to toss out a discrimination lawsuit brought by Byron Allen, the high-profile businessman and media mogul behind the Weather Channel, according to Crains. 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. Here are the states goals for ending the mandate and where Chicago stands with each: Cases: Chicago must report an average of 199 cases or fewer per day. But some contend it's time to stop now, citing fewer severe COVID-19 cases, health care staffing shortages and the impending May 11 expiration of a national public health emergency that has been in place since January 2020. Something went wrong. When defining vaccination, the city and county are following the lead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: two weeks past a second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two. Since Jan. 3, Chicago has required restaurant, bar and gym patrons to show proof of vaccination and a photo ID. But Chicago Public Schools is a notable exception and will continue to require masking. Providing guidance, services, and strategies that make Chicago a healthier and safer city. Associated Press writers Claire Savage and Teresa Crawford in Chicago contributed to this report. CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago health officials said they anticipate that the city's proof of vaccine requirement and indoor mask mandate will lift around the same time as the state's. Gov. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. In a memo to students, faculty and staff, University Provost Mary Boyce announced last week that the mandate "will no longer be in effect" starting on May 11, and phase out submitting proofs of vaccination. Sources Cited. SAG-AFTRA president and The Nanny actress Fran Drescher urged Hollywood to end its vaccine mandates in her opening remarks at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday (Feb. 26 . Chicago workers can pay for tests instead of getting COVID-19 vaccine until the end of the year By Claudia Morell. Plus, local breweries raise thousands of dollars for Twisted Hippo after a devastating fire in Albany Park. 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 nations third-largest city. COVID-19 vaccinations are free and do not require insurance. This guy actually has a plan. Thats their choice and obviously thats their right, Lightfoot said. A formal announcement regarding changes to the mask and vaccine proof requirements will be made next week, the health official stated. In all cases, thieves sought to take cash out of registers or tip jars. Chicago is currently at high, the top of the scale. The move comes amid improving COVID-19 metrics. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that Chicago will drop its mask mandate for most settings, as well as its proof-of-vaccination mandate at restaurants, bars and other indoor establishments, at the end of the month, reflecting a renewed hope for normalcy in the city as COVID-19 cases continue dropping from alarming highs. 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. 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. An official website of the City of Chicago. Aaron Rodgers hasnt won a super bowl since Obamas first term pic.twitter.com/D0WxOeCDfn, Tribune critic Louisa Chu grants two-and-a-half stars to Peanut Park Trattoria, the new neighborhood restaurant in Little Italy from the owners of deli palace Tempesta Market, thin-crust hit Coalfire, and suburban traditionalist Ristorante Agostino. The public memorial, set for Saturday, will be a night-long celebration of Roberts and the music he loved with sets that pay homage to the legendary DJ. Illinois, Cook County and Chicago mask mandates and other COVID regulations before restrictions will be widely lifted Monday. Lightfoot was asked Tuesday whether the declaration of independence from masks and proof-of-vaccine mandates marks an end to a pandemic that has dragged on for two years. 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. 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. 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. Clickhereto support Block Clubwith atax-deductible donation. The risk is down to a point where it is appropriate to lift the mandates, Arwady said. Most of these cases have involved edibles, specifically edibles accidentally eaten by children or unwitting visitors like grandparents or babysitters. 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.. He also said he wasnt responsible for the liked tweets, which he called abhorrent, and suggested someone had improperly accessed his account. Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan and essential coverage of Chicagos diverse neighborhoods. I dont want to put myself at risk. But there are less than two weeks to go before Feb. 28 and Chicagos only hit one of its goals so far. Asked if she was treated unfairly because of her race and gender, Lightfoot said: Im a black woman in America. 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. 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. 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. 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. Its had a total of 553,812 confirmed cases. At least 32,072 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, and another 3,985 deaths are probably related to the virus, according to the state. 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. I still encourage people to take precautions and definitely get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones.. As of Monday, Chicagoans will no longer be required to show proof of. Gov. 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