CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- This is the day we’ve all been waiting for: a full reopening of the State of Illinois, including the City of Chicago, from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reason the state is “reopening” is because COVID numbers have dropped considerably and the number of vaccinated people continues to rise, although at a slower pace than a couple of months ago. For instance, Chicago is seeing an average of 71 new COVID cases per day now, compared to 3,500 a day at the height of the pandemic.
John Wirtel is happy to see this day come.
"It feels good. It feels good….It’s almost like the chains have been lifted, you know? Everyone did their part. We kept safe and now it’s time to get back to normal," he said.
The state is lifting capacity limits for businesses and gatherings of any kind, and while people who are vaccinated do not have to wear masks, except in businesses that want you wear them, public transit, and medical facilities; unvaccinated people are asked to continue wearing masks.
Wirtel said that now he can do more.
"Probably more traveling, go out and see the kids. I got a son in Iowa, so we’ll probably see more of the kids, just traveling, getting out and about," he said.
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DePaul University student Christian Rezcek said he’s glad he will not have to be taking classes online in the fall, and that he’ll be able to get back on campus and see people. He was preparing to head downtown for a summer internship.
"The past like year and a half has really flown by for me. It kind of felt like a blur. It’s nice to see people’s faces, out and about, so I’m really glad, like, everything’s going back to normal," Rezcek said.
One woman told WBBM Newsradio she is happy to see the state reopening, but "should have happened six months ago. (Think so?) Yeah, and we’re ready."
Some grocery stores are going back to pre-pandemic ways of doing things, like having salad bars and other self-serve areas. Additionally, food samples are coming back at stores like Sam’s Club, Mariano’s, and Costco.
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