Illinois and Chicago set to fully reopen June 11
This Friday, Chicago will join the rest of Illinois and move into phase five, the final phase of reopening the state. This means that the Chicago Cubs will start their three-game series against the rival St. Louis Cardinals with full capacity of fans at Wrigley Field! Stage five also allows for restaurants to operate a full capacity, and tables no longer have to be 6 feet apart.
According to the State of Illinois COVID recovery plan, Restore Illinois, in phase five, all sectors of the economy can reopen with businesses, schools, and recreation returning to their normal operations as long as there is an implementation of new safety procedures and guidelines. Furthermore, conventions, festivals, and large events can take place in the final stage of recovery.
Before Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s announcement last week that the City of Chicago would move forward and reopen on the same timeline as the rest of the state, Chicago hoped to reopen by July 4. Due to the widespread availability of vaccinations and low COVID-19 positivity rates, that date has moved up to June 11. As of Sunday, the CDC reported that over 300 million vaccine doses have already been administered in the United States.
Now that the entire state of Illinois is in stage five, more events and gatherings are coming back to Chicago and Illinois this summer. For example, Lollapalooza, a 4-day music festival celebrating its 25th anniversary, will occur this year in Grant Park after a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19. Other popular outdoor music festivals such as Ravina Festival and Riot Fest are also returning as the city allows general admission to outdoor spectator events with a capacity of 15 people for every 1,000 square feet.
Indoor events like the Chicago Auto Show, hosted at McCormick Place, will return, and the convention center will welcome people for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. For a complete list of the returning and rescheduled Chicago events, click here. Despite moving into phase five, the City of Chicago wants to remind Chicagoans that masks will still be required on public transit and in healthcare settings. Moreover, individual businesses can enforce their own masking policies.
All of us at Strellis & Field are incredibly excited to be moving into phase five of reopening. We hope you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy this summer, but if you or a loved one has been injured due to the fault of others, contact us today for a free initial consultation and complete analysis of the circumstances.
