Chicago's top physician is "hopeful" that Chicago's vaccination requirement for indoor dining and other public areas will be removed once the city's COVID-19 spread declines significantly, The Chicago Tribune noted.
The city's proof-of-vaccination mandate for those 5 and older has been in place since Jan. 3 at restaurants, gyms, entertainment venues and more amid the surge of the highly contagious omicron variant.
However, on Jan. 20, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the requirement will be lifted in accordance with a decrease in COVID-19 risk.
Chicago is currently at a "high" level of spread, with an average of 104 daily cases per 100,000 residents and an 11.9% test positivity rate. When the city gets to a "moderate, low risk" level, Arwady said, the vaccination requirement will be lifted.