Young North Side Chicagoans Driving Spike In City COVID-19 Cases

CHICAGO — Young adults in North Side neighborhoods are driving a concerning spike in city coronavirus cases that could stand in the way of further lifting social-distance restrictions on business and public gatherings, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday.

Lightfoot said city public health officials have initiated outreach efforts in Lincoln Park, Old Town, Portage Park and Dunning where there has been a spike in cases in people between the ages of 18 and 39.

"The bottom line here is we're seeing a very disturbing trend that could significantly impact our ability to move forward with reopening," Lightfoot said. The mayor urged young people — particularly students on spring break to avoid bar crawls and crowded indoor spaces.

While sounding the alarm about the spike in cases fueled by indoor gatherings, Lightfoot's administration announced expanded outdoor gathering capacity limits for:

• Bars and Restaurants: Maximum outdoor table size can increase to ten people, with tables set up so that patrons are six feet from patrons at other tables.
• Social Events such as weddings and community gatherings: Total outdoor capacity can increase to the lesser of 50% or 100 people.
• Performance Venues, Theaters and Seated Spectator Events: Outdoor venues with capacity greater than or equal to 200 can operate at 25% capacity. Smaller venues can operate at no more than 50% capacity or 50 people.
• Outdoor Recreation: Maximum groups of 50; multiple groups permitted
• Places of Worship: No outdoor capacity limit provided that six feet of social distancing is maintained between parties.
• Health and Fitness Centers: Outdoor classes can increase to 100 people.

Lightfoot said a year of studying data about the spread of coronavirus has allowed the city public health department to be a "a lot more targeted" in COVID-19 interventions. And those efforts start with trying to educate young Chicagoans, particularly on the North Side, to wear masks and abide by social distance restrictions. But Lightfoot said if the trend in cases continues she won't hesitate to reinstate more strict restrictions on gatherings.

"We'll see if those numbers turn in another direction. ... If they don't, we know what we need to do," the mayor said.