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Chicago community activists demand city action for Omicron variant
Community activists gathered Thursday to sound the alarm over the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
CHICAGO - Community activists gathered Thursday to sound the alarm over the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
They are urging Chicago Public Schools to implement weekly COVID testing for students. They also want the city to require proof of vaccination for all indoor activities, like dining and shopping, which they say will protect Black and brown frontline workers who live in Pilsen and Little Village.
Finally, the activists are concerned about the agencies the city is hiring to manage COVID clinics.
"They depend on private agencies, most of whom have never done vaccine events like the one we're doing on Saturday and instead of hiring people back to work in the department of health, back to work in the public schools, they're contracting out," said Dr. Howard Ehrman, former Chicago assistant health commissioner.
The group also wants the city to use its share of federal stimulus dollars to hire more teachers, counselors, nurses and custodians in CPS schools.