Ken Meyer, commissioner of the city’s Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection. said it was a “great day” in Chicago with masks becoming optional in most settings.
The masks were off and vaccination cards weren’t checked inside The Dearborn on Monday as the owners celebrated the lifting of some COVID-19 mandates by sharing a lunch with two top city officials.
“I am glad to say we made it — it’s been two very long, stressful years.” said Clodagh Lawless, co-owner of The Dearborn. “Obviously the bigger picture is the health and safety of every person in our communities and the United States; however, there is a reality that our health and wellness depend on our livelihood. And our livelihood was taken away from us.”
Lawless said the last couple of months have been particularly bad for business as the Omicron variant took hold of the city during the holidays and drove up cases and hospitalizations. Then they were forced to check vaccine cards at the start of the year.
If they turned away one person, it was too many, she said.
But lunch Monday with Ken Meyer, commissioner of the city’s Department of Business Affairs & Consumer Protection, and Dr. Jennifer Seo, the chief medical director for the city’s Department of Public Health, signaled a much-needed change, she said.
“While we always haven’t agreed with the decisions that have been made, clearly, but we understand the ‘why’ and the ‘why’ is why we are standing here today,” Lawless said.
Chicago lifted its mask mandate and proof of vaccine requirement most settings this week, leaving businesses with the option implement their own rules. People are still required to wear a mask in certain places like on public transit or in health care settings.
Meyer said it was a “great day” in Chicago with masks becoming optional in most settings.
“While the government is no longer requiring it, I hope that everyone respects other people’s choice to wear a mask,” Meyer said.
Meyer said he walked around the Loop Monday morning and noticed about a 60/40 split of people wearing a mask to those not.
Seo said the city will continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines as it relates to its ever-changing coronavirus policy. She stressed that Chicago is in a good position now.
“Here in the city of Chicago we are at low risk which is why we are able to make masks optional in our public spaces,” Seo said. “We are going to continue to assess the situation and if anything changes in terms of our recommendations, we will of course make sure that our Chicago residents are kept up to date.”