Beaches could reopen shortly after Independence Day Weekend according to Chicago health officials.
We might not get to celebrate the Fourth of July on the sand but it sounds like we’ll get to go back to the beach shortly after! Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, recently announced that Chicago officials were looking into opening city beaches soon after Independence Day Weekend. “We’ve been in conversations with the Chicago Park District, but that is going to be just a little bit later into July…likely shortly after the Fourth of July holiday is when we will formally be opening the beaches,” Dr. Awady told FOX 32.
Earlier last week, Chicago officials announced the city would be entering Phase 4 of the reopening along with the rest of the state. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Arwady hinted at a possible reopening of the beaches after the Fourth of July.”Where we think about pools and beaches, let me just be clear that the water itself is not a concern for COVID spread,” Arwady said. “The risk is that individuals who breathe on each other when they are at beaches and at pools have the opportunity to spread the virus.”
Now that the city continues to evolve favorably it would seem like the reopening could become a reality. We should expect our visits to the beach to be a little different this summer, however. Social distancing measures enforcing a 6-foot distance between beachgoers will most likely be in place and in addition to lifeguards there could also be social distance ambassadors like those currently placed at the Lakefront and The 606 trail encouraging Chicagoans to adhere to the health and safety rules.
Chicago continues its road to recovery with this week with the reopening of museums, performance venues and indoor dining services starting on Friday, June 26.
In other news:5 More Streets Will Be Reserved For Patio Dining This Weekend
[Featured image: Jonathan J. Castellon via Unsplash]