Chicago could “fully open” by Independence Day.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot yesterday announced her goal to reopen Chicago by July 4 and remove all capacity restrictions entirely.
The Mayor joined Governor J. B. Pritzker and community leaders at a news conference at McCormick Place Convention Center to announce the return of Chicago’s beloved Auto Show. There Lightfoot revealed that the city’s “steady progress”, improving COVID-19 metrics, and efficient vaccine rollout mean that this coming July is a realistic time to expect a return to normalcy provided Chicago’s COVID-19 metrics don’t rise again.
FULL STORY: Chicago is on track to fully reopen — with no restrictions on businesses — by July 4, Mayor Lori Lighfoot said Tuesday, while announcing that the Chicago Auto Show will return to McCormick Place on July 15-19. @wttw https://t.co/xP8c9sgoCQ
— Heather Cherone (@HeatherCherone) May 4, 2021
Last week the City of Chicago eased restrictions allowing the return of conventions, festivals, and indoor activities. Chicago and the rest of Illinois are now set to move into the “Bridge Phase” by May 13 – the penultimate step in the state’s reopening plans. This will see bars, restaurants, and other businesses expand operating hours and capacity as well as various increases to capacity restrictions for both indoor and outdoor events.
Lightfoot, Pritzker, and other city officials at Tuesday’s news conference urged all Illinoisans eligible for the vaccine to get vaccinated and to encourage others to do so in order to help this reopening plan move forward.
Folks, a full reopening is very exciting, but it's only possible if people continue to get vaccinated and follow the public health guidance. Safety is key. #OpenChicago https://t.co/BAv3HI8P36
— Archived: Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@mayorlightfoot) May 4, 2021
The Mayor also reminded people that while they are optimistic of the reopening goal masks will continue to be obligatory for the foreseeable future, beyond independence day, and likely for at least the next year.
“We’ve seen from the experience of Asian countries, for example, that have had successive crises around public health, now it’s standard fare for people to wear masks. I think that’s going to be something that we see here in the U.S. for probably at least the next year if not further beyond that,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
The entire news conference can be viewed below:
WATCH NOW: Mayor Lightfoot joins Gov. Pritzker and community leaders at McCormick Place to provide an update on Chicago’s reopening efforts. #OpenChicago https://t.co/leL3tNHGhh
— Archived: Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@mayorlightfoot) May 4, 2021
See more: Chicago’s Iconic State Street Will Be Closed Off For Weekly Interactive Block Parties In July
[Featured image from Shutterstock]