Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced she would reinstate some business restrictions to limit further spread of the coronavirus, which has surged in several parts of the country.
“The recent uptick in cases & surging COVID-19 activity in other states is cause for concern and is why we’re announcing a move to dial back reopening in certain high-risk environments,” Lightfoot said Monday.
Chicago bars will no longer be allowed to serve alcohol indoors, only six people will be seated at each table in restaurants, and fitness classes will be capped at 10 people. The citywide restrictions will go into effect on Friday.
Throughout this pandemic, data has guided every move made by the City. The recent uptick in cases & surging COVID-19 activity in other states is cause for concern and is why we’re announcing a move to dial back reopening in certain high-risk environments. https://t.co/jPUdaRJZKX pic.twitter.com/Owy1FQXtMS
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) July 20, 2020
The move was abrupt but not unexpected, as Lightfoot has said in the past that she would be willing to reinstate restrictions if Chicago were to see an increase in new cases. She was slow to reopen bars and restaurants in the first place out of fear that young people, who make up a large share of new cases in southern states, would flock to crowded places and increase viral transmission.
“While we aren’t near the peak of the pandemic from earlier this year, none of us wants to go back there, and we feel these restrictions will help limit further community spread,” Lightfoot said.
Chicago has topped 200 new cases on a seven-day rolling average basis, making it a high-incidence area under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
Illinois has not seen a spike in new cases comparable to Florida, though, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus, having confirmed over 350,000 infections since March. Another 12,478 cases were confirmed Sunday, making it the fifth consecutive day Florida’s number of COVID-19 cases has grown by more than 10,000.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has not taken steps to roll back the state’s reopening to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Governors of other states, such as New York, Texas, and California, have halted their reopening plans.
