Chicago to require proof of vaccination at restaurant, bars – Lincoln Journal Star
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CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago will require proof of coronavirus vaccination at restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor venues, as the rapidly spreading omicron variant drives a spike in COVID-19 infections, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday.
Lightfoot said the requirement will take effect Jan. 3, and will apply to places in the nation’s third-largest city where food and beverages are served — including sport and entertainment venues — and fitness centers. It doesn’t apply to people getting takeout, who stay in a businesses for 10 minutes or less.
Lightfoot said the measure is necessary because of a surge in cases and hospitalizations, with Chicago seeing numbers at levels similar to before vaccines were available. Chicago is reporting an average of about 1,700 cases per day, up from about 300 per day just weeks ago, she said.
“To be clear, I have not been this concerned about COVID-19 since the early days of the pandemic in 2020,” Lightfoot said. She also urged people to get vaccinated, saying it’s the only way for life to return to some kind of normalcy and the best way to save lives.
On Monday, Illinois reported about 12,330 new COVID-19 cases — the highest daily total in more than a year. Much of that increase has been driven by the omicron variant, prompting fears of a winter surge.
Federal health officials announced Monday that omicron accounted for 73% of new infections last week, a nearly sixfold increase in only seven days.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported omicron’s prevalence is even higher in some parts of the U.S., with the variant responsible for an estimated 90% of new infections in the industrial Midwest, the New York area, the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced Monday that the city will require proof of vaccination for workers and customers at many indoor businesses beginning in mid-January. New York and San Francisco already require it.
Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, called the Chicago requirement a “reasonably measured approach.”
“It certainly is better than shutting businesses down,” he said.
Lightfoot said there will be a weekly testing option for employees who are unvaccinated, but no testing option for customers. Proof of vaccination may be with a physical card, or a photo of the card. The requirement doesn’t apply to houses of worship, elementary and secondary schools, grocery stores and office or residential buildings.
Allison Arwady, Chicago’s public health commissioner, said the requirement will apply to everyone age 5 and older, and that they must be “fully vaccinated,” which the CDC currently defines as two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine. For people age 16 and older, a valid photo ID must be presented along with the vaccination card.
Much about the omicron variant remains unknown, including whether it causes more or less severe illness. Early studies suggest the vaccinated will need a booster shot for the best chance at preventing omicron infection but even without the extra dose, vaccination still should offer strong protection against severe illness and death.
Arwady said 32.5% of Chicago residents age 18 and older have received booster shots.
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COVID-19 patients are occupying nearly 15% of the state’s hospital beds, a level that in the past triggered more restrictions.
The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 in the state was 523 as of Monday morning, down from 584 on Friday. That makes additional statewide restrictions unlikely in the near future.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department reported another death from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths to 345. The death was a man in his 50s who was hospitalized and vaccinated, according to a news release.
Public Health Solutions, which covers Fillmore, Gage, Jefferson, Saline and Thayer counties, said the positive case is not related to the omicron variant cluster detected earlier this month and is likely the result of international travel.
Both men — one in his 70s, the other in his 80s — were hospitalized and unvaccinated, according to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. Their deaths bring the county’s total for the pandemic to 342.
Tiniest Baby Registry said the Lincoln baby girl is only the 26th baby ever born before 23 weeks of gestation to survive.
“If there’s any kind of message here,” a Nebraska Medicine psychologist said, “it’s to encourage everybody to be empathetic and understanding, whether or not we share beliefs with each other. We’re all going through difficult times.”
The number of COVID patients in local hospitals has reached its highest number this year.
Dr. James Lawler of the University of Nebraska Medical Center sees a “high likelihood” of an increase when the state gets hit with the brunt of the fast-spreading omicron variant in the next couple of weeks.
“There’s much less reserve and flexibility now than we had a year ago, and I think we’re only entering the really bad part of this respiratory season,” Dr. James Lawler said. “I think we’re going to get the triple whammy of delta, omicron and flu.”
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