Chicago to follow state by lifting mask mandate by the end of month

The city of Chicago announced Tuesday that it will lift its mask mandate for many indoor spaces by the end of the month, The Associated Press reported. 

In a press conference, Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) said the city will also stop requiring residents to show proof of vaccinations at various venues, including restaurants, citing the downward trend of virus cases in the city. 

“This decision is in alignment with the State’s plans to lift the statewide indoor mask mandate on the same day,” Lightfoot said in a statement. 

“To be clear, masks will continue to be required in congregate spaces, per federal mandates and @CDCgov guidance.”

The city’s public school system will still have a mask mandate, citing a union agreement over safety protocols, but Lightfoot said city officials will review the matter, according to the AP. 

Chicago public health officials also said the reasoning to lift the mask mandate was based on metrics including infections and hospitalizations. 

A daily average of 27 Chicago residents are hospitalized with virus-related symptoms, down from nearly 300 hospitalizations at the peak of the omicron variant, the AP reported. 

“By adjusting our mitigation measures, based on these metrics, we’ve been able to protect and save the lives of our residents, as well as prevent our healthcare system from collapsing,” Lightfoot said at the news conference. 

This comes as eight U.S. states earlier this month have lifted their mask mandate, citing the recent decrease of COVID-19 cases. 

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said he plans to lift the state’s mask mandate by the end of this month, adding he intends to keep the mandate in place for schools in the state.

“Of course, we still have the sensitive locations of K-12 schools, where we have lots of people who are, you know, joined together in smaller spaces, thousands of people interacting in one location at a time,” Pritzker said at the time. “And so that’s something that will come weeks hence. But very importantly, things are getting better across the state of Illinois.”