Chicago vaccine mandate: Governor Pritzker to announce statewide requirement for school masks, following some companies, sources say

CHICAGO (WLS) – Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to announce a statewide school mask mandate on Wednesday afternoon, as some Chicago businesses pick up on vaccine and mask requirements, sources say.

Pritzker’s move is due to the growing number of cases of the delta variant, with a number of kids getting it, and all the “noise” about it, sources say.

The different approaches taken by school districts are also a factor, sources said.

It will apply to all public and private schools, K-12.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike will join the governor at 2:30 p.m. at the Thompson Center.

Chicago COVID Vaccine: Company’s Main Charge to Require Masks and Injections

It used to be “no shirt, no shoes, no service” but, with the increase in COVID cases, some companies are now saying “no shooting, no service”.

Metro Chicago, a Wrigleyville concert hall, just announced that anyone attending shows will be required to show proof of vaccination, unlike Lollapalooza, which allowed unvaccinated people to enter by providing a negative COVID test. current.

Metro also said customers will be required to present government-issued photo ID, and it is recommended that everyone wear masks.

If you want to dine at restaurants and bars in NorthHalsted like DS Tequila Co. and Sidetrack, you’d better have proof of COVID vaccination, as entry is now mandatory.

More restaurants and nightclubs in the Chicago area are making this move as COVID cases rise again, driven by the spread of the delta variant, especially among unvaccinated populations.

RELATED: Some Chicago Restaurants Requiring Face Masks, COVID Vaccinations As Cases Rise

The decision to require masks and seek vaccination status is supported by Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner Dr Allison Arwady, although she insisted the city has yet to plan to follow New York’s decision to require proof of vaccination for all meals and indoor fitness. centers.

“I want to thank them for doing this. It is clearly one of the most important things they can do to reduce risk for everyone in the restaurant,” said Arwady.

The city is working on a way for people to digitally prove their immunization status.

“We have a lot of people losing their cards,” Arwady explained. “We want people where there are parameters that want to either impose vaccines or check vaccines as people come in. I want to make that as technologically easy as possible in a way that protects everyone’s privacy. “

The Illinois Restaurant Association hopes individual restaurants will be allowed to make their own decisions, and stressed that restaurants operating at high capacity or located in neighborhoods with low vaccination rates would be catastrophically affected by a vaccination mandate.

“We’re always late,” Sam Sanchez said. “Every time you open the door and you’re not 100% working, you’re losing money.”

Companies see vaccination warrants as a way to protect staff