The city’s mayor announced Tuesday that evidence of vaccinating indoor public spaces such as restaurants, bars and gyms in the new year in Chicago will be needed soon, as covet cases join other major cities such as New York and Los Angeles in adding to the demand.
Jan. Anyone between the ages of 3, 5 and older must show proof of full immunization to eat inside or to go to gyms or recreational areas where food and beverages are served.
The city said the policy was “in response to a dangerous increase in COVID-19 cases locally and nationally, partly driven by the Omigron variant.”
“Despite our diligence and equitable vaccine delivery efforts throughout this year,
Unfortunately, our city continues to see an increase in Covit-19 delta and Omigron cases, “said Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a statement:” New measures need to be taken to protect the health and well-being of our residents. This public health order, which requires proof of vaccination to go to certain indoor public places, is a necessary step to ensure that many of our city’s facilities can continue to be enjoyed as the New Year enters. “
Under the new guidelines, those 5 years of age and older must show proof of full vaccination, but those 16 and older must provide identification that matches their vaccination record. Employees in such areas should be vaccinated or wear a mask and show evidence of weekly negative COVID-19 tests.
The city noted that its interior mask order is in effect.
“This new requirement will not eliminate the risk of COVID, but will help ensure a more secure indoor environment for fully vaccinated Chicagoans and staff working in these high-risk organizations. As we move further into the winter months, we need to take this step now, ”said Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. Alison Arvadi in a statement. “With Omicron, I look forward to seeing many more COVID reinfections and breakthroughs, but fortunately vaccines protect well against serious illness, hospitalization and death — and more if people take the booster shot. I’m very concerned about the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans who have not yet received a single dose of Govt vaccine or are recovering from Govt infection. I care about their own health, but also about the risk they pose to the health of others and our hospital capacity – and when we are about this uprising we need to minimize that risk.
Full requirements here:
Indoor food
Restaurants, Bars, Fast Food Companies, Coffee Shops, Tasting Rooms, Restaurants, Restaurants, Grocery Dining Areas, Breweries, Breweries, Distilleries, Restaurants and Catering Companies, Hotel Ballrooms
Internal fitness
Gyms and gyms, including fitness centers, recreational facilities, fitness centers, yoga, pilates, cycling, bar and dance studios, hotel gyms, boxing and kickboxing gyms, fitness camps and other facilities used for running. Indoor group fitness classes.
Indoor entertainment and recreation areas where food or beverages are served
Movie theaters, Music and concert halls, Live entertainment halls, Adult entertainment venues, Business events and banquets, Sports halls, Art galleries, Bowling alleys, Arcades, Cardboard rooms, Family entertainment centers, Including play areas, not only pool and Billiard halls and other
Recreational Sports Centers.
Places not included on demand
There are no places of worship where the vaccine is needed; Grocery stores (although interior food sections in grocery stores will be included); Places at O’Hare International Airport or Midway International Airport; Places in a residential or office building that are used only by the occupants, owners or tenants of that building; Or food service companies that only offer charitable food services such as soup kitchens. Schools and day care are also not included in this list.
At the same time as placing signs at the entrances, businesses need to develop and write their own plans to implement and implement the vaccine requirement.
There are some exceptions to the requirement, however, city officials noted. They include:
நப Persons entering a company in less than 10 minutes to place an order and
Eating; Delivery of goods; Or using the bathroom;
A non-resident artist who does not usually perform or provide services
A person who does not live in a closed place, or with such a show
When the artist, performer or individual is in a closed space
The objectives of such an artist’s performance;
A non-resident professional athlete or individual who does not reside with such
The professional athlete enters the enclosed space as part of their routine
Employment for the purposes of professional athlete / sports team competition;
Persons who have previously been medically or religiously exempt (e.g.
From an employer), if such sponsors show evidence of establishment
Medical or religious exclusion and the Covid-19 test administered by a physician
Professional within the last 72 hours before entering.
A person 18 years of age or younger enters an enclosed space
Participate in an activity organized by the school or post-school program
Any pre-kindergarten from twelfth grade to public or non-public school; And
Individual entering for the purpose of voting in municipal, state or federal
Election; Or, by law, aiding or abetting a voter or caring for such persons
Election
City health officials have been saying for weeks that some indoor activities and public places may soon require proof of vaccination.
Many restaurants and venues already require proof of vaccination or negative tests.
“There is no denying that we are on the fifth wave of COVID-19,” Lightfood said in a speech Tuesday. “This new wave seems worse than the last, spreading fast and causing deep damage. I have not been worried about Govt-19 since the early days of the epidemic in 2020.”
Cook County health officials also promoted higher mitigation last week as suspected Omigron cases continued to grow in the suburbs outside the city.
While the delta variant is the main variant, the county said case numbers, case rates, test positives, hospital admissions and deaths are “all increasing”.
“CCDPH provides increased mitigation practices for individuals and businesses,” the district health department said in a statement. “CCDPH urges suburban Cook County residents to follow suit to slow the spread of COVID-19. We must continue to work together to keep each other healthy and avoid the health system.”
In Chicago alone, the average daily case rate has risen to 991 per day, up 79% from the previous week. Daily hospitalizations and deaths have increased in the past week, city data show.
Across Illinois, cases and hospitals continue to rise until the holidays.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the state said A total of 12,328 new cases have been confirmed in the past day, The highest number recorded in a single day in 2021. In fact, according to IDPH data, this number is the highest in a single day since December 1, 2020, when 12,542 new cases were reported.
According to the IDPH, at least 17 omega cases have been identified in Illinois so far, with local health officials confirming at least two in the Chicago area, one in the city.
At the same time, the state is increasing the number of newly admitted corona virus patients to the hospital, with more residents seeking emergency medical care than ever before this year.
However, while they are encouraging local authorities to make decisions at the regional level, state officials have said they have no plans to bring back controls at the state level yet.
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