http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/protesters-call-for-chicago-to-reinstate-mask-mandate-due-to-rising-covid-cases/2815290/
Protesters Call for Chicago to Reinstate Mask Mandate Due to Rising
COVID Cases
Both Illinois and Chicago rescinded their mask mandates in February
following decreases in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations
By Christian Farr • Published April 24, 2022 • Updated on April 24, 2022
at 6:08 pm
0:01/ 2:06
Share Expand
A number of Chicago residents stood together in the Little Village
neighborhood Sunday, pleading for the city to reinstate its COVID-19
mask mandate to prevent a possible surge following another uptick in cases.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, of the city's 25th Ward, along with members of
the People's Response Network, expressed concerns about mask mandates
being lifted locally and nationwide.
In late February, both the state of Illinois and city of Chicago
rescinded their mask mandates after sustained decreases in the number of
new cases and hospitalizations.
Protesters argue Chicago's Department of Public Health didn't do a good
job at handling the pandemic and said the city's Black and Brown
communities are still at risk. The group also presented a list of
demands, including reintroducing the mask mandate across the city and in
Chicago Public Schools.
“We need to make sure that we prioritize the well being and the health
of our students and staff in CPS," Sigcho-Lopez said. "We have schools
like in Pilsen in the 25th Ward, where we still have vaccination rates
that don't even reach 50% 30%? In some cases, higher. Is it possible
that we're still insisting on lifting a mandate?”
The group is also pushing for the expansion of free COVID-19 testing for
at-risk communities on the South, Southwest and West sides of the city.
The Illinois Department of Public Health in early April issued a COVID
public health warning, saying "case rates are slowly rising in many
areas of the state." Health officials advised people to pay attention to
the conditions in their communities and to stay up-to-date on their
vaccinations.
Local
CORONAVIRUS ILLINOIS
13 MINS AGO
Illinois Coronavirus Updates: Mask Mandate Protest, Transmission Risk Rises
CHICAGO CASH ASSISTANCE
20 MINS AGO
Applications are Now Open for Chicago's $500-Per-Month Assistance
Program. Here's How it Works
Chicago, too, has seen a recent uptick in cases.
The city was averaging 521 daily COVID cases as of Friday, a 15% hike
from a week earlier, according to data from CDPH. However, both
hospitalizations and deaths were down from the week prior.
Chicago's community level status remains low, the least severe of the
three risk levels as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com