Lightfoot, Pritzker Cautious About Uptick In COVID-19 Cases
CHICAGO (CBS) -- On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot scolded Chicago's 18 to 29 year-olds, noting young adults accounted for nearly one-third of all new COVID-19 cases over the last month.
CBS 2's Chris Tye has the story.
The mayor of Chicago and the governor of Illinois had similar messages today: things are going well, but are still very delicate.
As Illinois adds COVID-19 regions, the city of Chicago focuses on two groups making news. The mayor said make no mistake: she is not the mom threatening to "turn the car around" if we don't behave.
"I won't just turn the car around. I'm going to shut it off. I'm going to kick you out and I'm going to make you walk home," Lightfoot said.
But if "home" is inside the Latinx community "mom" is happy with you.
It's the brightest spot on the city COVID-19 charts,with numbers plummeting in the last two months.
At La Vaca Margarita Bar in Pilsen, they say they have gotten the message with spaced tables and living a new normal to help those numbers fall. But where the numbers not falling?
Among Chicago's 18-29 year olds, spiking over that same two month period. If it goes much higher, the city will start tightening back up.
"We'll thinking about pulling back, if we have to, once we're over 200," said Doctor Allison Arwady, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health.
The first number Chicago's top doc looks at every morning is the city's confirmed daily cases number. It sits at 192 for Wednesday. It's uncomfortably close to the 200 that could lead to city tightening.
"The last thing I want to do is have to take steps back," Lightfoot lamented.
The newest move from the state: slicing Illinois into 11 COVID-19 regions, up from four. Chicago will be its own region.
"It's a more surgical ability to manage locally," Governor JB Pritzker said.
Collar counties around Cook had been lobbying for the move so they wouldn't be lumped into potential setbacks in Chicago.
The governor also urging school districts to consider hybrid schedules and remote learning. Rushing into a school year now could lead to litigation later.
"Any district disregarding this is gambling with the lives of our teachers, children and families," Pritzker said.
The governor said not a morning goes by where he doesn't wish he had a magic wand but the virus is still here. He said bar owners quietly packing people in or party hosts not requiring face masks are hurting neighbors or friends or relative with an immune compromised virus.
