Mayor Lightfoot, Arwady urge masking in public as COVID-19 cases rise

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged residents to get vaccinated and boosted as the Christmas holiday approaches and noted that the city will issue a mask advisory if COVID-19 cases continue rising.

Chicago officials are suggesting people take COVID-19 tests before holiday gatherings and wear masks in crowded settings amid yet another upswing in cases.

Lightfoot and the city’s top doctor, Allison Arwady, said they will issue a mask advisory if, as expected, the virus level rises to high locally.

The city noted it will be the first time in three holiday seasons that some people are again gathering with others in person. They also urged people to wash their hands frequently, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth and stay home if they’re sick, even if they’re vaccinated and boosted.

Amid a “tripledemic” of COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu this holiday season — not to mention a blizzard hitting the area — some in the Chicago area are questioning whether to gather in person or what precautions to take to try staying healthy.

Cook County remained at a medium level of community COVID-19 as of Thursday, but Arwady recently predicted that the area will move into high levels for the holidays.

“I fully expect that as we continue to gather for the holidays and head into the respiratory virus season, I expect that we also are likely to get to a high level,” Arwady, the Chicago Department of Public Health commissioner, said last week. “If and when Chicago hits a high COVID level, we will be issuing a formal advisory for Chicagoans to wear their masks indoors.”

She reiterated that Thursday.

Lightfoot announced last week that she’d tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time.