Chicago will transition to the next stage of reopening along with rest of state.
The City of Chicago will move in to Phase 4 of reopening plan this Friday, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced this morning.
“The service and sacrifice made by Chicagoans from every corner of our city and every walk of life has allowed us to safely reach the point where we are now,” said Lighftoot.
“It includes the incredible work done by our healthcare professionals, first responders, and essential workers who have cared for our residents and kept our city running. Everything we’ve done to meet this moment has been the direct result of the hard work and sacrifice of our residents, which has not only saved the lives of thousands of Chicagoans over these past three months, but also helped lay the groundwork for the transformative recovery that will follow.”
The City of Chicago has gone a bit off track its scheduled opening plan, reopening by ear rather than by pre-drafted dates. In the last month, the City of Chicago was seen the gradual reopening of public establishments such as bars, breweries, libraries, and amenities such as most parks, along with Navy Pier, Millennium Park, The Riverfront, The Lakefront and 606.
Chicago entered Phase 3 of its reopening plan on June 3, four days after the rest of state of Illinois did so. This time, however, the city will transition in accordance with the rest of the state. In Phase 4, Chicago will see the reopening of:
- Bars and restaurants for indoor seating at 25% capacity
- Zoos and museums
- Summer camps
- Performance venues
Additionally, people will be allowed to gather in groups of up to 50 people inside and up to 100 people outside. Of course, individuals gathering must wear masks and practice social distancing to the best of their ability.
The City of Chicago will move into the next phase of its reopening plan as it has accomplished its safety goal of having fewer than 200 new coronavirus cases per day. If its average number of 167 falls below 100, Chicago will lift even more restrictions.
“The data continue to show that we’re making progress and we’ll be ready to move into phase four later this week,” CDPH Commissioner, Allison Arwady, M.D., said earlier.
“However, we still have a lot of COVID-19 cases here in Chicago; we’re just now moving from a high-risk to a medium-high-risk city for COVID-19 spread, based on our numbers, and we need to move ahead cautiously. I can’t emphasize enough the need for people and businesses to continue to abide by the public health guidance so we can avoid the spike in cases we’re seeing in other cities and states that re-opened before us.”
See more: The Lakefront And The 606 Trail Are Reopening Today
[Featured image: @rodlong]