(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Evanston will soon require proof of vaccination for restaurants and other indoor places where people gather.
Effective Jan. 10, the new order from Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department mirrors mandates in Chicago and elsewhere. It requires businesses to check a customer’s proof of vaccination before they can enter bars, restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues and movie theaters.
The order does not apply to people 18 years or younger participating in a school activity or after-school program. A mask mandate remains in effect for public indoor settings.
Businesses must post signs of the new requirement, and city officials planned a question-and-answer session with owners for 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Evanston is reporting 95 new COVID cases per day.
“As COVID-19 cases surge in Evanston and throughout the Chicago area, vaccination remains our strongest protection against severe illness and hospitalization from this highly contagious virus,” Health & Human Services Director Ike Ogbo said in a news release.
“These mitigation measures will help reduce transmission in crowded indoor settings, such as dining and fitness facilities, and provide much needed support to our strained healthcare system.”
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