Cook County businesses should require vax proof or COVID-19 test

Cook County businesses should be checking for proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before letting anyone in their doors, the health department has declared.

The Cook County Department of Public Health announced new recommendations Dec. 17 to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 as winter weather and holiday gatherings drive more people indoors and together.

Illinois recorded nearly 12,000 new COVID-19 cases Dec. 16, the highest daily total in 2021. It’s the largest number in one day since Dec. 1, 2020, when no vaccine was yet available.

To mitigate the spread of the virus, the Cook County Department of Public Health recommended all individuals and businesses follow mitigations that included patrons proving vaccination or showing a new, negative test before being admitted.

Vaccines

• Unvaccinated persons should get their shots as soon as possible to slow the spread of COVID-19.
• Vaccinated persons should receive boosters once they’re eligible. People with a two-dose vaccine can get a booster after six months, and those who received a single-shot vaccine are eligible for a booster after two months.

Indoor gatherings

• The department urged unvaccinated people to not gather indoors with others outside their household.
• People celebrating the holidays are strongly encouraged to get a COVID-19 test two or three days before the event and the morning of. If people test positive, they should stay home and follow CDC isolation guidelines.
• Workplaces are urged to avoid large group gatherings and hold virtual holiday parties instead.

Businesses

• Establishments are urged to require patrons to be fully vaccinated for entry or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, time-stamped within 24 of hours of entry.
• Masking mandates are still in effect for indoor spaces statewide, regardless of vaccination status. Cook County recommended all people two years and older to wear masks in indoor settings if they can medically tolerate them.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said while cases are on the rise, there’s no plan in place right now to increase statewide restrictions.

“Last year is when the vaccines first were administered in our state. We were hoping to be in a completely different place,” Ezike said Dec. 17.

Illinois is one of seven states to requires masks regardless of vaccination status. Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, just declared he was done with mask mandates and that people should choose for themselves and not have government involved in the decision.

“You know, public health [officials] don’t get to tell people what to wear; that’s just not their job. Public health [officials] would say to always wear a mask because it decreases flu and decreases [other airborne illnesses]. But that’s not something that you require; you don’t tell people what to wear,” Polis said.

“You don’t tell people to wear a jacket when they go out in winter and force them to [wear it]. If they get frostbite, it’s their own darn fault.”