As Illinois aims to lift its mask mandate by Feb. 28, Chicago city officials assert the city's proof-of-vaccination and mask requirements could end soon, but have stopped short of providing a specific date.
Speaking on Feb. 14, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city is “not there yet” in regard to eliminating mask and vaccine card requirements, but the city's top doctor has since provided more insight on when changes may occur.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady explained she is relying on a set of metrics to determine when restrictions can be lifted, and three out of four key metrics must be met to move forward with easing restrictions.
The metrics include test positivity, hospital beds occupied by COVID patients, ICU beds occupied by COVID patients and daily COVID cases. The seven-day rolling averages for each category need to be at a "lower transmission" level, which is set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"When we reduce these measures, we increase our vulnerability of having transmission continue to go high," says Jessica Malaty Rivera, an epidemiologist at the Pandemic Prevention Institute. She joined LX News to talk about mask restrictions and what loosening them could mean for the nation.
During a Facebook live question-and-answer session, Arwady said she is "feeling optimistic," about moving forward. A formal announcement regarding changes to the mask and vaccine proof requirements will be made next week, the health official stated.
"We are almost down to these lower risk levels," the doctor explained, in part. ". We're really close, and it is really exciting."