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VACCINATION PROOF MAY BE NEEDED IN CHICAGO FOR VENUE ACCESS
Illinois Policy Institute/
Patrick Andriesen
Chicago’s top doctor hinted the city could
introduce a new proof of COVID-19 vaccination requirement for residents
to visit bars, gyms, restaurants and other venues as have other major
cities.
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 Chicagoans could soon be required
to prove they are vaccinated to gain access to more venues around the city,
Chicago’s top doctor said Dec. 7.
Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health Dr. Allison Arwady said
the city could follow other major cities and mandate proof of vaccination to go
to gyms, bars, restaurants and other venues. In April Arwady proposed a vax pass
program giving special privileges to vaccinated residents, but it was never
implemented.
Arwady said she prefers having people prove they are vaccinated to another round
of “major shutdowns” such as Gov. J.B. Pritzker imposed statewide at the onset
of the pandemic.
“It’s certainly something that, as this increase is continuing and with a new
variant, we may do more of,” she said.
 The measure to incentivize further vaccination among Chicagoans arrives as city
COVID-19 rates soar to the highest average case rate since January – reporting a
seven-day average of 903 cases as of Dec. 8. The statewide average was 7,417
cases, the highest since late December.
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That new case rate was
up more than 207% over the daily average reported Nov. 1. Arwady
attributed the spike to seasonal trends seen last year.
“This is, again, the winter surge, as we move inside and see more
spread, even before omicron,” Arwady said. “This is … regional with
winter here and with a lot of people still not vaccinated.”
With Chicago’s positivity rate reaching 4.1% this week after it was
1.6% on Nov. 1, Arwady said the city is now considered “very high”
risk for transmission. But she speculated the spread could get worse
after the first caseof the omicron variant was identified Dec. 7 in
Chicago.
Arwady said experts expect the vaccine to offer some protection
against the new variant, especially when it comes to preventing
severe illness and death.
For now, she said the best thing Chicagoans can do is get fully
vaccinated and boosted before moving indoors for the holidays.
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