CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Mayor Lightfoot said don’t look for any more loosening of dining and gathering restrictions right now, as Chicago’s coronavirus numbers are "going in the wrong direction" again.
Maybe some people are feeling bold now that vaccines are being given out; and more people have reportedly been gathering without masks.
So now Mayor Lightfoot said after weeks of decline, there’s an increase in the numbers of new coronavirus cases in Chicago, and even hospitalizations.
"We are definitely concerned. We're not in a position, as a result of [increasing metrics], to really be talking about a more reopening issues, particularly when it comes to expanding capacity indoors. The last thing that any of us want to do is take any steps back, but we are in a place where both Dr. Arwady and myself are very concerned and we are sounding the alarm," she said.
"We are seeing an increase in cases in the age demographic of 18- to 39-year olds, 30- to 39-year-olds, 40- to 49-year-olds...And so most of those folks have not been able to get a vaccine yet, and I want to remind people, all people, but especially folks in those younger age groups, who haven't been able to get a vaccine that we really need everybody to not stop doing the things that got us this far."
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Lightfoot said the measures of how well the city is doing combatting COVID-19 are starting to feel like the surge back in October again.
"We have seen a significant uptick in the number of daily cases just over the last week, which is definitely concerning. Equally concerning is the increase in our percent positivity. Not that long ago, within the last couple weeks, we had percent positivity that was the lowest that we have seen through the pandemic. Now, we are back up in a way that's definitely concerning," Lightfoot said.
The Mayor said after relaxing some capacity limits in recent weeks, there won’t be any more easing, at least until things are moving in the right direction again.
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And while it remains unclear if the rising metrics will in fact mark the start of a third surge in the city, Dr. Arwady said people should not let their guards down.
"I don't know fully what's going to happen here. I do know that we are pushing vaccine absolutely as quickly as we can, ramping up our monitoring for the variants we are seeing...and continuing to ask people to do what has gotten us this far. If we see a big increase in cases not accompanied by an increase in hospitalizations or deaths I don't worry about that as much. But if we start to see it impacting in serious ways, you know, and then the big question is what does this mean for reopening?"
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But Dr. Arwady said while she's particularly concerned about the short-term impacts of a surge, she remains optimistic for the longer-term as vaccinations continue to ramp up.
"I remain really confident that this summer, assuming we continue to see really good vaccine demand and really good uptake as vaccine supply increases, we'll be in good shape this summer, but I am really worried about this next sort of four to eight weeks," she said.
The city's positivity rate climbed to 3.3 percent Wednesday, from a recent low of 2.7 percent.