Chicago Reopening: $250 Gift Cards, Lollapalooza Tickets Offered

CHICAGO — At a "Thank You Chicago" event Friday marking the lifting of local restrictions associated with the coronavirus, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Alison Arwady announced plans to encourage residents to support local businesses and continue to get vaccinated.

Lightfoot said the beginning of Phase 5 offers a chance for locals and tourists alike to return to the things they enjoyed prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus in the state.

"This time last year, our city was in a very different place," Lightfoot said. "It's been 15 months since COVID first came to our city, wrecked havoc on nearly every aspect of our lives and forced us to grapple with feelings of fear, loss, grief, unlike anything we'd ever experienced in our lifetime."

Lightfoot thanked residents for their sacrifices during more than 400 days of restrictions on gatherings and businesses.

"Every step of the way, you still make sure to do your part and stop the spread of his deadly disease. You masked up, you got 'vaxxed' up, and now it's time for you to get up get out of the house this summer and fully and safely enjoy the events of the best city on the planet — our beloved city of Chicago," she said.

"There's no better place to be in summertime than the city of Chicago," Lightfoot added.

The mayor also credited workers, city officials and local business leaders for allowing Chicago to become the largest city in the nation to fully reopen.

Other than the continuing CDC-recommended mask mandate in health care, schools, public transportation and congregate living settings, operators of businesses are now free to determine their own safety rules.

"Capacity limits: gone. Mask mandates: not mandatory. And social distancing requirements: lifted," Lightfoot said.

The mayor announced a gift card promotion across the city's 77 community areas to support local businesses.

"We're going to be giving away hundreds of $250 gift cards to thank local business owners, health care professionals and the rest of our residents," Lightfoot said.

Redeemable at thousands of local businesses, the cards will be issued by the Chicago-based e-commerce startup Raise and hidden around the city at different locations every weekend until July 4.

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Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Alison Arwady said the city's COVID-19 rates are the lowest of the pandemic, with a positivity rate of 1.4 percent and fewer than 3 new cases per day per 100,000 people.

Since the vaccine has been available, she said, 97 percent of those hospitalized with the virus and 98 percent of coronavirus deaths have been people who were not fully vaccinated.

Arwady also announced additions to the Protect Chicago Music series and a plan for a Lollapalooza ticket raffle.

Hip-hop artists from the Save Money group will perform at a free concert July 1 at Chicago State University, Arwady said. Tickets will be available for those who get vaccinated at the CSU vaccination site next week.

"If you don't know who Save Money is, your kids do," she said.

Arwady also announced a partnership with Lollapalooza organizers to distribute 1,000 free one-day passes to the music festival, which will require a full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result from within 24 hours.

"On Saturday, June 26, we'll be turning four of our city of Chicago [vaccination] sites into a Lollapalooza experience. Each will be featuring DJs spinning music, custom Lollapalooza giveaways, and then each of the sites will offer a pass to a different day of the music festival," Arwady said.

The health commissioner said there are still new coronavirus cases being diagnosed, although there are only about 80 new cases a day. Arwady said any seasonal resurgence as the weather cools is likely to come among unvaccinated social networks.

Vaccinations are free and available for everyone aged 12 and above. Information about vaccination locations and events is available from the city's website or from its coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835.

"We've gotten this far through vaccine," Arwady said. "Please, please, please — if you haven't done it yet, now is your chance."