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OAK PARK, Illinois (CBS) – This Easter weekend, business owners are upset over other COVID-19 mitigation measures that could emerge this week.
Those in suburban Cook County are now renewing their calls for data and vaccine eligibility.
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As CBS 2’s Steven Graves reported on Sunday night, Cook County health officials said over the weekend they were “extremely” concerned about a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, and said that further mitigations on indoor meals could fall within days.
Business owners felt like unwarranted targets.
The owner of Oak Park Brewing Co. has just two simple questions.
“Where does it end?” Jim Cozzens said. “When are we going to be allowed to do what we’re supposed to do?”
Cozzens Bar and Restaurant just opened a few days ago at 155 S. Oak Park Ave. at Oak Park. The indoor dining room capacity is already limited to 50% due to COVID-19, and its outdoor space is not even furnished.
Right now, all customer traffic is critical.
“The public is probably sick of hearing how close we are to the limit, but at the same time, that doesn’t change the fact that there is going to be a very serious problem,” Cozzens said.
The concern comes as he and others in suburban Cook County are under new warning.
“People are on the move, and some people prefer to wear their masks than others, so we may very well have to crack down in a few days,” said Dr Rachel Rubin, chief medical officer of the County of County. Cook this weekend. .
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Health officials said they have seen a sharp increase in COVID cases among people between the ages of 20 and 50. The average is 600 cases per day now compared to 400 last week.
In response, a capacity cap for indoor gatherings and a limit for spectator events could emerge. And yes, an indoor eating ban could be too.
“The data so far has shown that outdoor activities are generally not the primary driver,” Rubin said.
But Cozzens said, “I haven’t seen a lot of data to suggest restaurants are drivers.”
CBS 2 investigators examined the allegation in January. We found that Illinois’ positivity rate increased during an inside three-month eating ban.
The state argued that this always posed a risk as people from different households gathered in one space.
But if it’s such a risk, Cozzens said, “So why aren’t we important enough to be vaccinated sooner?”
It wasn’t until a few days ago that restaurant workers in Cook County and even Chicago became eligible for the vaccine.
Since then, there has been a push in the city to prioritize the up to 75,000 restaurant workers who are in the mix with millions of people.
But Cozzens just hopes the threat of more mitigation remains just that – a threat.
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Importantly, Cook County’s top doc said eating inside was only a fraction of the problem. She insists more vaccines are coming, but masks and social distancing are still vital.
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