33 Comments - PublicServant - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 6:36 am: Maskup again, people. This ain’t last year’s Covid-19. Delta is Covid on steroids. Anyone not vaccinated now…your time is running out. - DuPage Saint - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 8:33 am: Going to be very interesting to hear Lightfoot reasoning for say shutting down large crowds at football games and Sox World Series after allowing Lolla - En Err Gee - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 8:36 am: The next best thing he could have done to canceling it. I am actually surprised. Must be mask mandates and shut downa coming soon and he didn’t want the headache of his hypocrisy. It hasn’t bugged him before but I guess I am glad he is growing. - Pundent - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:07 am: When 97% of the serious Covid cases involve the unvaccinated people and 90% of the attendees are vaccinated, I think holding Lollapalooza is still ok. If Lolla can’t go ahead with the protocols it had in place how can the MLB and soon to be NFL have games? Restricting attendance at large events to vaccinated participants might actually be a good way to get the numbers up. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:12 am: === 90% of the attendees are vaccinated=== This is more wishful thinking than hard factual evidence. Still unaware how tight the covid vaccination check was, meaning the protocols to that check. - Pundent - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:24 am: =Still unaware how tight the covid vaccination check was, meaning the protocols to that check.= But there were checks. And people were turned away for not having proof of a vaccine or negative test. That didn’t happen at any MLB parks this weekend. The point being that holding these types of events could help in moving the needle on vaccinations. I have no doubt that there were quite a few attendees under 30 that got the vax simply to attend. - 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:28 am: My thoughts are a question: when they say somewhere is going to ask for proof of vaccination, will they accept a photo of the front and back of the vaccine card or do you have to carry around your original vaccine card? - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:29 am: === But there were checks. And people were turned away for not having proof of a vaccine or negative test. That didn’t happen at any MLB parks this weekend.=== Also true. Welp, “we’ll see”… hoping for the best, the trend isbt our friend, maybe more shots in arms will continue to grow - Bruce( no not him) - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:35 am: If I ever hear the term “Out of an abundance of caution…” it will be too soon. - Bruce( no not him) - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:36 am: forgot the word “again” oops - Pundent - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:39 am: I think we need to start to change our mindset on the approach here. We need to encourage the able and healthy unvaccinated to get the shot. The Sox averaged 35K a game this weekend and we know that a decent percentage of those were unvaccinated. Even though we know that the Bears will continue to disappoint us they’ll still average 60K fans a game. And if the worry is that if we require people to have a vaccination in order to attend they could end up staying home, isn’t that the point? - EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 10:00 am: Is it too late to cancel the State Fairs, even with 10 days left until opening day in Springfield? Although I’ve heard (via Sam Madonia’s morning show here in Springfield) reports that the carnivals and vendors are already set up on the grounds. - Grandson of Man - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 10:28 am: Agree with the vaccine and indoor masking requirements for a big event. The pandemic is now of the unvaccinated. The vaccinated get excellent protection against hospitalization and death, which is the name of the game. If we can reduce COVID to a bad flu-like illness, we can live again like we did under bad flu seasons. But we must redouble our efforts to help folks get the shots. - Just in time… - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 10:46 am: Glad the gov changed his mind. Lolla was a mistake. No need to compound it. - Demoralized - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 10:52 am: I think it was wrong for the Governor to reverse course and not attend. The messages coming from our leaders are not helping the vaccination campaign. On the one hand they are saying get vaccinated. On the other hand they are doing and saying things that muddy that message - including Pritzker not attending. He should have attended and worn a mask. I for one am no longer wearing a mask unless required. I was vaccinated. The message was “get vaccinated and your life can go back to normal.” I’m living normal unless forced otherwise to do something different. - Demoralized - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 10:53 am: ==Is it too late to cancel the State Fairs,== Don’t go if you’re scared. Problem solved for you. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 10:55 am: ===Don’t go if you’re scared.=== So bravery is measured by how one approaches a global pandemic? Huh. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:02 am: === I think it was wrong for the Governor to reverse course and not attend.=== Is this your medical opinion? You also said if one is “scared” don’t go… except elected leaders? For me… you wanna go, not go, fine. The 50% vaccine status is not herd immunity, and while I am fully vaccinated, and I follow what establishments want, CDC requires, what I’m comfortable with, the reality is… it’s bigger than me being worried how it might effect me, it’s still the damage society is doing to itself. I might go to State Fair this year. My reason(s) for not going likely won’t hinge on the virus, but I’ll be interested how in central Illinois it’s welcomed, probably very well. No one is “tough” because of medical-type choices or exposures. - Demoralized - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:04 am: ==Is this your medical opinion?== Sigh. You’re completely misunderstanding what I’m saying. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:06 am: === You’re completely misunderstanding=== I’m not. You… ===Don’t go if you’re scared. Problem solved for you.=== Also you… ===I think it was wrong for the Governor to reverse course and not attend.=== Is it a bravery question then? - Demoralized - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:11 am: Oh for pete’s sake. It has nothing to do with bravery. Go. Don’t go. I don’t care. Do what’s best for you. We were asked our thoughts on the Governor deciding not to go. My opinion is that the messages coming from leaders right now is muddled. By not going I think he’s stepping on the vaccination message. That’s what I’m saying. From an individuals standpoint I’m sure he did what he thought was best personally. I’m speaking of his role as Governor. I don’t think he did what was best from that standpoint. But again, I understand why he did what he did. - cermak_rd - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:19 am: Demoralized, Does it really matter if the governor goes to Lolla? To my mind, only the most hardened of political junkies is going to Lolla because the governor is going to be there. I would not have gone either. It’s not that I don’t trust my vaccine, but I don’t want to stress test it either. And I don’t want even a mild illness if I can avoid it. And avoiding packed in events (even outside) and crowded interiors (the L after Lolla) strikes me as a good way to avoid it. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:21 am: === My opinion is that the messages coming from leaders right now is muddled. By not going I think he’s stepping on the vaccination message. That’s what I’m saying.=== So… the governor is not sending a good medical message by not being brave enough, as governor, to attend, even if following medical thoughts to it, vaccinated or not, it might be better not attending? “Because messaging” Publicly getting the vaccine is a strong messaging. Deciding that not attending is better medically for him, let’s say, (do we really know why he didn’t attend?) isn’t good messaging too? Not one medical expert has said the vaccine is 100% foolproof, and we’ve not reached herd immunity. The onus on the governor to “walk the line” or face a message backlash seems odd if the belief too is “do what is comfortable, even after vaccinated” - Demoralized - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:35 am: ==Publicly getting the vaccine is a strong messaging== Yes, it is. But so is publicly showing that the vaccination has the benefit of living a more normal life is also strong messaging. He had an opportunity to show that and didn’t. I understand why he did what he did. I just don’t agree with it. We can just agree to disagree on this one OW. Respectfully. - Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:44 am: Skipping it at the last minute doesn’t seem like good leadership to me. It doesn’t really set an example for people and muddies the waters about the seriousness of the third surge if there will be a surge. - natty lite - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:44 am: Glad Lolla required vaccinations. More events should do so too. Including restaurants and bars. Public schools should not allow attendance if age-eligible members of a kid’s household are not vaccinated. Air travel, hotels, etc. Require proof of vaccination in order to get a Ventra card for CTA/Metra/Pace. I hope more and more employers begin requiring it too. Enough is enough. - Worried - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:46 am: If a vaccinated Governor is too worried about what he knows about Delta to attend event outside with other vaccinated folks, should we not then send folks back to work inside - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:51 am: ===…muddies the waters about the seriousness of the third surge if there will be a surge.=== How so? Are there gonna be ads… “… and Pritzker refused to go to Lollapalooza…” The candidates vying for Pritzker’s job raised the amount of money Pritzker used on social media recently. Just on social media. - Oswego Willy - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 11:55 am: ===But so is publicly showing that the vaccination has the benefit of living a more normal life is also strong messaging. He had an opportunity to show that and didn’t.=== Isn’t a normal life still going on if Lollapalooza is still going on, with or without the governor? The mayor of “Shark Town” attending the 4th of July festivities didn’t change much either way. Had the governor cancelled Lolla… that’s not closer to any normal life. It’s all good. No worries. Be well. - Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 12:45 pm: ===Glad Lolla required vaccinations.=== Let’s be clear - they did *not* require vaccinations. If you were vaccinated, you could show that for entry, or you could have a negative test from the previous 72 hours. That was not a mass gathering of the vaccinated. Also, did you see the social media on the vaccination/testing checks? I wouldn’t call it thorough. Maybe it was at some entrances, but not the ones I saw videos of. - Three Dimensional Checkers - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 1:03 pm: ===Are there gonna be ads… “… and Pritzker refused to go to Lollapalooza=== If we are back in lockdown in November, there could be ads saying the Governor went to Lolla at the start of the third surge. He didn’t even tell the public he wasn’t going until after the event. So what it is too dangerous for the Governor but not for everyone else? It is not the end of the world, but I thought it was more about covering himself politically than anything else. - Dotnonymous - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 1:29 pm: Much of the various advice has been as clear as mud…up until right now. Pandemics are hard. - A Jack - Monday, Aug 2, 21 @ 9:29 pm: I didn’t see anyone being turned away from Lollapalooza. But probably the greater danger with the hundreds of kids cramming into the CTA at the end of the day. Few, if any wore masks in cars that were packed full and had little ventilation. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.