Chicago COVID today: ‘quantum leap’ in coronavirus cases puts future plans to reopen city on hold, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said

CHICAGO (WLS) – As the number of reported cases of COVID-19 continues to rise in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has warned that any further reopening plans would be in jeopardy if this trend does not change.

The peak that the mayor and public health commissioner spoke about last week is escalating and could dash hopes of easing restrictions as the weather improves.

The rising tick in COVID cases is driven by young people on the city’s north and northwest sides, officials say, and is a growing concern.

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“We have over 400, almost 500 cases to date, which is a leap from where we were three weeks ago,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

But as the weather improves and more people tire of COVID restrictions leading to risky behaviors such as bar ramps, the mayor issued a warning on Wednesday about the upward trend in new cases of COVID.

“It’s concerning and it obviously requires us to proceed with caution when we open up,” said Lightfoot. “We’re not going to see anything more meaningful on the reopening front until we see these numbers stabilize and start to decline.”

Lightfoot said she was excited to open two new mass vaccination clinics on the south side of Chicago State University and on the north side near Wrigley Field.

WATCH: Chicago mayor concerned about ‘quantum leap’ in COVID cases

SEE ALSO | Chicago COVID Mass Vaccination Sites Near Wrigley Field, Chicago State University To Open Soon

On Monday, the city opened eligibility for Phase 1C, including the remaining essential workers and representing 84% of Chicagoans.

Although Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine shipments are expected to more than double next week, Chicago will not join the state on April 12 in making everyone aged 16 and over eligible for the vaccine.

“In essence, I don’t want to commit to something that we can’t accomplish because we don’t have enough vaccines,” Lightfoot said. “We need more vaccines.”

Gov. JB Pritzker has made it clear that he does not agree with the city’s decision not to adhere to state guidelines on vaccine eligibility.

“I’m afraid, I’ll be honest with you, that the city of Chicago seems to want to delay beyond April 12,” Governor JB Pritzker said. “We should get every dose in every arm that we can.”

The mayor said it is only coincidental that there will be a new max vaccination site on the north side where this recent spike in cases has been centered. Now they are focused on working out the logistics of how these two new sites will be managed.

Suburban Cook County plans to follow state guidelines from April 12. The county has now moved to Phase 1C, expanding to all remaining essential workers.