Lightfoot Issues Stay-At-Home Order, Urges Chicagoans To Avoid Thanksgiving

Chicago has a stay-at-home advisory coming and officials are urging people not to get together for Thanksgiving as COVID-19 cases climb.

The stay-at-home advisory will go into effect at 6 a.m. on Monday (November 16).

It will be effective for 30 days "or until such time as the Commissioner of Health determines a change to the guidance is appropriate," the advisory states.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady and others have warned and braced for the “second surge” of COVID-19 in Chicago.

Responding to the statewide coronavirus spread, Gov. J.B. Pritzker implemented “resurgence mitigation” efforts in the region that includes Chicago, including banning indoor dining at restaurants. Though Lightfoot worried that could hurt businesses, Pritzker stood by his decision in hopes of combatting the uptick in hospitalizations and positivity rates.

Lightfoot issued the new advisory as part of the “Protect Chicago” plan to help mitigate the spread of the virus, according to ABC7Chicago. Additional efforts include capping gatherings — including meetings, birthdays, weddings, funerals and more — at 10 people.

"Chicago has reached a critical point in the second surge of COVID-19, demanding that we undertake this multi-faceted and comprehensive effort to stop the virus in its tracks," Lightfoot said. "The gains we have made this past year have been the result of our willingness to work together. Even in this difficult moment, we will continue to unite as we always have for our city in order to halt the rise we're seeing, shake out of the fatigue we've been experiencing, and make the crucial difference in what our future is going to look like."

People are also urged to avoid travel, and to quarantine if travel is necessary, along with taking other COVID-19 precautions. Chicagoans should celebrate Thanksgiving virtually instead of gathering, officials said.

"The data are troubling, and I'm very concerned we could be looking at tens of thousands of more cases, which would overwhelm the healthcare system and lead to hundreds more deaths," Arwady said. "But we know what works and what we need to do to bend the curve. We did it once and I know we can do it again."

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