(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Chicago will lift its indoor mask mandate for many public settings and remove the proof-of-vaccination requirement for bars and restaurants on Monday Feb. 28, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced today.
Lightfoot said decreasing COVID-19 metrics helped officials make the decision, which comes as state government is preparing to likewise lift its indoor mask mandate Feb. 28.
She noted that a mask mandate remains for certain indoor settings, such as health care facilities, public transportation and congregate spaces with lower vaccination rates. The indoor mask mandate for Chicago Public Schools was expected to remain in place.
“This doesn’t mean COVID is gone, it simply means transmission levels are lower than they have been during surges," Chicago Health Commissioner Allison Arwady stressed in a news release. "I still encourage people to take precautions and definitely get vaccinated to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
Chicago’s vaccine requirement for restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor public settings took effect Jan. 3, amid a surge in Omicron-variant cases of coronavirus. Lightfoot noted that business owners can still require masks within their own establishments.
Her announcement was hailed as good news from the restaurant industry.
"Mayor Lightfoot’s announcement that the city will lift its proof of vaccination and mask requirements is an encouraging sign of better times ahead for Chicago’s restaurant community. This is a meaningful step that will increase consumer confidence and keep our restaurants on a steady path to recovery,” Sam Toia, president and CEO of the Illinois Restaurant Association, said in a news release.
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