Chicago will require proof of coronavirus vaccination at restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor venues starting Jan. 3, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Tuesday. The requirement comes as the omicron variant drives a nationwide spike in COVID-19 infections.
The mayor’s office said more than 60 Chicago residents are being hospitalized with COVID each day and an average of 10 are dying from COVID daily. Most of Chicago’s COVID hospitalizations and deaths are people who are not vaccinated, the mayor’s office said.— the highest daily total in more than a year. Much of that increase has been driven by the omicron variant, prompting fears of a winter surge.for 73% of new infections last week, a nearly sixfold increase in only seven days.
Rob Karr, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, called the Chicago requirement a “reasonably measured approach.”Lightfoot said there would be a weekly testing option for employees who are unvaccinated, but no testing option for customers. Proof of vaccination may be with a physical card, or a photo of the card. The requirement doesn’t apply to houses of worship, elementary and secondary schools, grocery stores and office or residential buildings.
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