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While Chicago officials are hopeful that Lollapalooza won’t spur a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, infectious disease experts at Northwestern University are bracing for an increase in infections in the coming weeks.
““ This is a recipe for disaster, ”said Dr. Tina Tan, pediatrician and professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, in a press release. United, and even if the organizers take some efforts to reduce infections, I do not know how they will impose the wearing of masks, social distancing, hand washing … “
Despite a slight increase in cases fueled by the delta variant, the Chicago Department of Public Health and Lollapalooza’s own health experts have decided it is safe to continue the festival, Mayor Lori Lightfoot previously said.
The four-day event, which city officials have called the world’s largest music festival this year, saw massive crowds and little to no social distancing at several concerts on opening day.
To enter Lollapalooza, spectators must provide a printed copy of their COVID vaccination card, vaccination record or negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of entering. Dr Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern’s Institute for Global Health, acknowledged that the negative COVID-19 vaccine and test requirements were helpful, but said “it’s just not enough when you’re in the hospital. middle of the pandemic “.
For those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, a mask is mandatory inside the festival at all times. However, some infectious disease experts have expressed doubts about meeting mask and social distancing requirements.
In a tweet Friday evening, Lollapalooza announced that masks will be mandatory in all indoor spaces from Saturday following a recommendation from the city of Chicago authorities that all residents over 2 wear masks in the premises. domestic audiences, regardless of their vaccination status.
At a press conference earlier this week, Dr Allison Arwady, commissioner of the CRPD, said there would “almost certainly” be cases associated with the four-day concert series.
“I certainly know that we are much more responsible than many other circles, which are just as big, which are gathering across the country,” the doctor said on Tuesday.
A day earlier, a prominent Chicago infectious disease expert warned that “a lot of people” will contract COVID-19 at Lollapalooza, but Mayor Lori Lightfoot dismissed the criticism as coming from “criticism on the sidelines.”
Dr Emily Landon, executive medical director for infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medical Center, says the festival is a ‘spread’ event and that she fears people infected with COVID , vaccinated or not, could start “infection wildfires” across the United States.
“I think a lot of people are going to catch COVID in Lollapalooza,” she said. “The real problem is not so much that a group of young people who come to Chicago receive COVID at this event. The real problem is that they are taking him back to places where vaccination rates are very low. ”
Revealing city and state officials have not sought her opinion in recent weeks, Dr Emily Landon, widely regarded as one of Chicago’s top coronavirus experts, has stated bluntly that Lollapalooza – the most city’s big music festival – likely should be canceled, citing an increase in cases of COVID-19 fueled by the Delta variant.
Northwestern infectious disease experts say they predict a peak in infections will occur the following week, but remain optimistic for a good outcome.
“If everyone who goes to Lollapalooza is vaccinated or has a negative test, it will bring the numbers down,” Murphy said. “And I hope that will happen. Maybe it even prompted a lot of young people to get vaccinated to come. “
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