reopening illinois

Artists from across the nation are traveling to Old Town for the iconic art fair this weekend, returning to the city after last summer’s closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Legoland display features iconic landmarks within the windy city such as ‘the Bean’, which was closed and barricaded off to the public due to coronavirus concerns last year.

Chicago’s move into Phase 5 Friday makes it the largest big U.S. city to fully reopen, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

Friday will mark an important milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, as the state of Illinois will eliminate all capacity restrictions and move into Phase 5 of its reopening plan.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has confirmed that the state will move into Phase 5 of its coronavirus reopening plan, eliminating all capacity limits from businesses and large-scale events as COVID metrics continue to drop.

Illinois’ Phase 5 will begin tomorrow, and while officials are optimistic, they’ll be keeping a close eye on COVID metrics. NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern has the story.

In less than 24 hours, the final pandemic restrictions will be lifted across the state of Illinois and city of Chicago. Major hotels, baseball parks and businesses are all gearing up for full capacity and a full return to normal after more than a year of COVID mitigations. NBC 5’s Chris hush reports.

Cook County health officials revealed their plan for the move to Phase 5 and a full reopening, removing all capacity limits and restrictions.

While some residents have expressed concerns that rollbacks of coronavirus restrictions could lead to surges in virus cases, Dr. Allison Arwady says that she is “very confident” that case numbers are low enough in the state to prevent a large surge from happening in the early stages of summer. Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, spoke out…

While the phase is set to mark a full reopening, beginning on June 11, not all restrictions will be lifted.

County singer Luke Combs announced performance dates for his 2021 tour in Chicago and across the Midwest coming this fall.

Officials and residents are growing more excited by the day as COVID restrictions are set to be eased this week. NBC 5’s Alex Maragos has the story.

Foot traffic in downtown Chicago is getting closer to pre-pandemic levels, another sign that the city, and the state, are gearing up for a full reopening later this week. Chicago’s Loop Alliance has been tracking downtown data since last July, and according to a May report, digital parking bookings exceeded 2019 levels for the first time. Pedestrian activity continued a…

Chicago businesses are looking forward as the city moves into Phase 5, a full reopening from most coronavirus mitigations. NBC 5’s Kate Chappell reports.

Canadian-American singer Alanis Morissette released new tour world dates, featuring several performances on stages in the Midwest.

Chicago and Illinois’ COVID metrics are trending in the right direction to fully reopen. Jen DeSalvo reports.

As Chicago continues to work its way toward a full reopening this summer, one of the city’s primary downtown attractions is throwing the doors open to all of its attractions beginning this weekend. Maggie Daley Park, located just to the east of Millennium Park, has announced that it will be fully open beginning on Friday, May 28, and all of…

Amtrak is resuming full passenger rail service across Illinois as the number of COVID-19 cases are falling

Although the city of Chicago is not planning to require residents to carry a “vaccine passport,” city health officials say that businesses will still be allowed to request proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and that residents have plenty of ways to provide that proof if necessary. Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, addressed the proof of…

CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announces changes to the city’s masking guidelines for fully vaccinated residents.