Chicago area music festivals, concert venues cope with COVID
CHICAGO - The United States is back to topping 100,000 daily COVID-19 cases.
The CDC says 40% of all COVID hospitalizations are in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana where vaccination rates are lower.
More than 75% of Illinois adults have gotten at least one COVID vaccine. The state’s positivity rate is at 4.6%.
United Airlines says it will require employees in the US to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by late October.
The Chicago-based airline is the first major us airline to require the vaccine for its 67,000 workers. The company joins a growing number of large corporations taking action to fight the delta variant.
Locally, more small businesses are also taking measures into their own hands. Beat Kitchen and Subterranean will require vaccines or negative COVID tests starting Monday for people to come indoors.
Those are just two of many small music venues and bars announcing new rules this week.
Starting next week, "Hey Nonny" — an Arlington Heights restaurant and Cabaret — will also require proof of COVID vaccination for those wanting to dine inside.
The spiking COVID cases are leaving many places in tight spots, including music festivals and events.
This weekend in the Chicago area, many outdoor music events are taking place.
This all comes after more than 16,000 new COVID cases were reported in Illinois this week, which is an increase of 43-percent from last week.
Some events locally are requiring proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test. Others, however, are business as usual.
Now, especially with the delta variant making its rounds in Chicago, public health officials say this is not the time to retreat to our old ways. Mask up and vax up is still the recommendation.
"There should be concern, you have delta variant out there. I think vaccination is key to this whole pandemic and masking is key to this pandemic," said infectious disease specialist Dr. Vishnu Chundi.