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Chicago Auto Show to return in July, other conventions to follow

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[Bumped up from late last night for better visibility.]

In an interview, Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes says that, with COVID infection and hospitalization numbers now nearing record low levels and vaccinations speeding up, the administration wants to send a clear message that “conventions will return. There’s a way to bring them back safely. Signaling that is important.”

Added Hynes: “It’s our intention to allow and plan for conventions at McCormick Place and other locales during the summer, and certainly by July, which is when the Chicago Auto Show will occur.” […]

“We have faith we can host the auto show on July 15, barring some dramatic change in the trajectory of the pandemic,” Hynes said. […]

Industry sources said the event could run five to seven days starting on or around July 15, with events both inside McCormick Place’s West Building and outside. Hynes said that, for economic reasons, “several thousand people at any one time” would have to be on hand, but state believes that’s doable within safety guidelines.

…Adding… Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…

“Establishing a Tourism and Hospitality Committee in the Senate was the brainchild of Senate President Don Harmon. Putting me in the chair — also his decision.”

“The Senate Committee proved to be a catalyst once it convened and provided a public forum for labor, conventions, hotels and restaurants to discuss the impact of the devastating job loss to their respective industries”

“The Governor’s announcement came at the perfect time. It tells the public that Illinois government is quite capable of following the science and simultaneously making a plan to safely bring back an industry for events that are six months away.”

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 3:28 am

Comments

I modified my handle from yesterday. But I still stand by my belief that I am not sure if I will ever feel comfortable going to a major, large-scale event ever again after this pandemic. Including conventions, perhaps even work conferences out of town, ballgames, and yes the State Fair.

Hopefully the virtual online conference options can stay long after the pandemic is declared over. (Even if only part of the event was online only, and if I still had to pay a fee for the virtual programming).

Comment by EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 8:31 am
The 2020 Chicago Auto Show was the last mass gathering I was at pre-Covid, and TBH, I was bummed that it wasn’t going to be able to take place this year. This is good news for Chicago and gearheads alike.

Comment by Dysfunction Junction Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 8:37 am
if even one death is one too many, this is unacceptable.

Comment by JG from PG Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 8:39 am
I haven’t dug deeply on this one - but what metrics are they looking at other than “We have faith…”? What is the acceptable risk level (I disagree with “if even one death…unacceptable)? As of today, we are at about last summer infectio levels here (other places, e.g. Paris, are pretty bad) and it looks like our vaccine uptake won’t be great. I think one lesson of the past year is that we have to make decisions with our eyes wide open - and that open for business will mean more sickness/death. The key is to find the right balance. Maybe the answer is not to care about those who elect to not get vaccinated…

Comment by WestBurbs Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 8:53 am
There does need to be a discussion soon about what happens if the vaccine uptake rate in Illinois stalls out below the 70% figure usually mentioned for herd immunity.

People may get more comfortable as more friends and neighbors get vaccinated about and maybe it does crack 70% but if not? What’s the plan.

Because if President Biden’s prediction of supply is accurate this won’t be just a theoretical discussion by July 4th.

Comment by ChicagoBars Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 8:57 am
With so many new EV’s being produced - this year’s show will be very interesting. Can’t wait.

Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:01 am
=== Maybe the answer is not to care about those who elect to not get vaccinated…===
Or maybe the answer is a filled out CDC index card as part of the price of admission.

Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:05 am
Assuming a vaccine-resistant variation isn’t causing problems in July you are going to have these sorts of events happening.
Why, if the numbers about vaccinations are credible by July everyone who wants a shot will have gotten a shot. But wait you say, you may still have a decent % of people who have decided to take a pass on getting the vaccine, you have to get the vaccination rate to X in order for this sort of thing to happen.
No, I think when it comes down to it, ‘vaccinated America’ isn’t going to put up with a ton of restrictions because someone is worried about getting vaccinated because of Bill Gates or whatever.
By July we would have had a vaccine for 7 months. Another summer of lockdown is going to fly.

Comment by OneMan Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:07 am
==Or maybe the answer is a filled out CDC index card as part of the price of admission.==

I’m on board with this. I’ve had COVID already (with detected antibodies), but I won’t consider going to another Auto Show if I haven’t been vaccinated by then. Luckily, it sounds like most people will have the opportunity to get the shot if they want to. If they don’t, I wouldn’t want them walking around McCormick Place.

Comment by Dysfunction Junction Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:10 am
“Maybe the answer is not to care about those who elect to not get vaccinated…”

Yep. I refuse to upend my life and my families’ life over the stupid any longer. At some point, once all of the controllables are controlled (availability to vaccinations), it will time to move on and start living life. If the stupid get sick, that’s on them.

Comment by DuPage Moderate Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:13 am
It is increasingly confusing which decisions and venues fall under the Chicago mayor’s jurisdiction and which are the governor’s (deputy governor’s) domain to open or close.

Comment by Responsa Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:36 am
===It is increasingly confusing which decisions===

It hasn’t changed one bit.

The governor sets the baseline on mitigations, etc. The local governments can then make the policy more strict, but not less.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:40 am
=Or maybe the answer is a filled out CDC index card as part of the price of admission.=

Couldn’t agree more. The way that we will ultimately get to herd immunity, and convince those that see opposing a vaccine as a political statement, is to force them to make a decision. One thing we know about many of our fellow Americans is that their desire for “freedom” will quickly fade if they’re being inconvenienced or denied the opportunity to do something they want.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:41 am
=== I haven’t dug deeply on this one - but what metrics are they looking at other than “We have faith…”? ===

Polling out today has him at 40-41-18.

In a democracy, it’s the metric that matters most.

Comment by Ferris Wheeler Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:45 am
Pundent. A vaccine card almost sounds like a voter i.d. card

Comment by Blue Dog Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:46 am
=== In a democracy===

… you can’t beat someone with no one.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:46 am
Voter-id card a device meant to curb access to the one means we have of having a legitimate government.

CDC card–something that lets to participate in events.

Rather 2 different things.

Comment by cermak_rd Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:49 am
=A vaccine card almost sounds like a voter i.d. card.=

We’re not talking about taking away someone’s right to vote, we’re reducing the likelihood of spreading disease. It’s the same reason that we have rules to work in a restaurant kitchen.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 9:58 am
To the vaccine card for access “solution”. A sizable percentage of anti-vaxxers will just fake them. See the problematic minority of pet owners with faux official “support animal” paperwork from the Internet.

https://www.newsweek.com/fake-vaccine-exemption-card-proliferates-twitter-despite-covid-19-misinformation-ban-1574645

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/scammers-sell-fake-covid19/

And no, I don’t think Chicago, Illinois, or America could design and issue a higher quality proof of vaccine card in 2022.

Comment by ChicagoBars Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:08 am
“Maybe the answer is not to care about those who elect to not get vaccinated…”

Yep. I refuse to upend my life and my families’ life over the stupid any longer.

My sister, a hospital’s laboratory scientist, has been told by her physician that she cannot get the vaccine because she would go into shock and die.

Same for her two children.

She’s going to get a second opinion, but that’s where things stand today.

I don’t really expect anyone else to care if they live or die, but I cannot pretend that they don’t exist.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:08 am
Good.

I walked the 2020 auto show with my son knowing fully well COVID was in Illinois and certainly could have been present at a massive international event at the McCormick Place.

CDC has said that COVID cases were under reported/identified by more than 4 times the amount of confirmed ones.

Illinois has 1.2 million confirmed cases, so that is more than 4 million cases/infections in total.

The NIH has study up on long last COVID 19 immunity after being infected.

https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lasting-immunity-found-after-recovery-covid-19

Illinois already has 1.2 million people fully vaccinated. That number will grow by a million or two more by July 15th.

The herd will be pretty robust by then, the state needs to push its economy open, and if by then if you don’t want to go - don’t go.

By this summer, baring some big spike, the economy and the state regulations are just going to have to open up. I do wonder if those still on the extreme caution end are fully remote workers, didn’t have lives and personal economies upended.

For those of us who lost a good deal of salary last year and still went into work everyday, it’s time to get this moving along a bit.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:10 am
I like the idea of a vaccine passport - but it won’t work. Govt won’t mandate the vaccine while its EAU and maybe never. And businesses will pressure Govt hard to avoid any kind of vaccine passport - I mean, come on, the restaurant lobby was screaming to be wide open during the highest infection rate times so I don’t think they’ll be ok with barring 20, 30, 40% of paying non-vaccinated customers.

Comment by WestBurbs Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:21 am
To the post,

The vaccine is a game changer, at least for me.

How I will go about things, with family, with friends, with public events, even dining… if I’m vaccinated, I will go about my business but still following what guidelines remain as the days go on.

I have zero idea when I will be vaccinated. I know it’s not tomorrow… or the next day… or in the coming days.

We need to move forward and this announcement is as important as anything, it’s great, and those who can should attend, but my sincere hope is the vaccinated and masked dominate the event and show we can do more normal things.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:26 am
=For those of us who lost a good deal of salary last year and still went into work everyday, it’s time to get this moving along a bit.=

Just spoke with someone in their 30’s with no underlying health conditions that spent the better part of February in the hospital and is now at home using oxygen and may be doing so for the long term. A few months of lost salary won’t seem like a big deal if you’re looking at using oxygen for the rest of your abbreviated life.

Comment by Pundent Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:34 am
=== For those of us who lost a good deal of salary last year and still went into work everyday, it’s time to get this moving along a bit.===

It’s about the money. Ok.

===I don’t really expect anyone else to care if they live or die, but I cannot pretend that they don’t exist.===

My good thoughts and hope for your sister.

Seemingly thoughtful takes still seem to forget it’s real people that things effect on both sides of decisions.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:39 am
To Cool Papa Bell’s post - I don’t want this to sound too snarky — but the selfish label applies more to the “open it up” crowd than those who advocate for “reasonable” caution. The real issue for me (and I suspect many) isn’t personal caution/fear. Rather, it is concern for society as a whole. And, more importantly for those who can’t afford to take precautions like staying at home. That group is disproportionately Black/Brown - and what makes it worse is that younger and Black/Brown skew vaccine hesitant, at least vs rich, old, white people. So, absent a Govt vaccine mandate, many of these “less advantaged” will get sick and may die or may get Long Covid. As a member of society, we should care about this (and, yes, its paternalism to a certain degree). I don’t have the answer - other than Govt vaccine mandate - but to be dismissive of those taking a broader view is not helpful.

Comment by WestBurbs Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:45 am
=== you can’t beat someone with no one. ===

Who was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?

Who was Jahana Hayes?

Who was Jaamal Bowman?

Who was Pawar?

Who was Biss?

You can beat Somebody with a Nobody, it just takes a little imagination and a lot of perspiration.

Comment by Ferris Wheeler Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:55 am
=== You can beat Somebody with a Nobody===

Narrator: names were named

LOL

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 10:57 am
Thinking Schimpf or Bailey will beat Pritzker is the thinking the Pritzker Crew is hoping people voting Trumpkin believe come primary time.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:00 am
“vaccine passport”

There is already a vaccine passport issued by the WHO. Is is the “International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP)”. Also known as the Carte Jaune or Yellow Card. You get one when you get a yellow fever shot.

Why are people wanting to reinvent the wheel?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Certificate_of_Vaccination_or_Prophylaxis

Comment by Huh? Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:17 am
@OW = For those of us who lost a good deal of salary last year and still went into work everyday, it’s time to get this moving along a bit.===

It’s about the money. Ok. ==

It’s not only about the money, but money is part of it. I don’t think you can deny it. And while you can paint it black and white we all know there is a shade of grey here.

We’ve balanced the economy and peoples lives for an entire year now. It sure seems like the right time to begin to tip the balance being back open rather than closed.

I do feel that there are plenty of folks who see even a phased in opening as a “rush job”. Those people might have been able to work from home, keep 100% of their salary and now really enjoy it. There is a good story today in Bloomberg about the uneven economic inequality of all of this.

Those are real feelings - real impacts.

Yes you can’t “undie” but seeing a year or two or three of economic loss leveled against you and the way it hurts and pains and what it’s done to your family is a very real feeling and one that can’t be denied or demeaned.

I’ve been clear for weeks now. Let’s not go all TEXAS up in here, but man it’s time to do more than we are.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:29 am
=== It’s not only about the money, but…===

“It’s about the money.”

Hurts and pains are felt by the living.

The dead know only one thing: it is better to be alive.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:31 am
OW - Ok. Good talk.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:39 am
=== Let’s not go all TEXAS===

Yep. Good talk.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:40 am
Mr JM’s situation is why we need herd immunity. Some people cannot take vaccinations, and we need to protect them. Covidiots and deniers might prolong the deaths for months or years.

I’m imagining that by summer things will be much better, but requiring a vaccine prior to entry to large events is sensible.

But the question stands about what metrics they used to decide. It sounds more like common sense or politics rather than metrics, which is not always bad depending on who is doing the deciding.

Comment by Simple Simon Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 11:44 am
The position of “keep everything closed until we eradicate a viral upper respiratory infection, and no one ever dies again” is becoming increasingly untenable by the day.

If you’re a governor or mayor, you will not want to be caught on the wrong side of this rapidly shifting tide.

Comment by JB13 Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 12:20 pm
== “keep everything closed until we eradicate a viral upper respiratory infection, and no one ever dies again” ==

Unless I’m mistaken, this was said by no one, ever.

Comment by don the legend Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 12:23 pm
===a viral upper respiratory infection===

A year in and you’re still this stupid?

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 12:29 pm
=== The position of “keep everything closed until we eradicate a viral upper respiratory infection, and no one ever dies again” is becoming increasingly untenable by the day.===

The alternative facts to the positions is one of the most disappointing and dangerous parts of this pandemic, up there with losing money with a lower death count is acceptable … because money.

My thought, again;

=== How I will go about things, with family, with friends, with public events, even dining… if I’m vaccinated, I will go about my business but still following what guidelines remain as the days go on.

I have zero idea when I will be vaccinated. I know it’s not tomorrow… or the next day… or in the coming days.

We need to move forward and this announcement is as important as anything, it’s great, and those who can should attend, but my sincere hope is the vaccinated and masked dominate the event and show we can do more normal things.===

Trying to make a thought that’s it’s a mere viral infection and others want total lockdown is first not listening and second trying to make a deadly virus less, but more political at the same time.

You’re not helping.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 12:37 pm
*Unless I’m mistaken, this was said by no one, ever.*

Actions, or lack thereof, speak louder than words.

Comment by Ground Hog Year Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 12:55 pm
=== Actions, or lack thereof===

Huh? What? Huh.

Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 12:57 pm
To Mr JM’s comment - I want to clarify that I am being sarcastic when I say “Maybe the answer is not to care about those who elect to not get vaccinated” I’m a firm believer in mandatory vaccination to protect those who can not get vaccinated for whatever reason, and to protect those who can but refuse when there is no cost to their refusal. Not much different than requiring a mumps vax to attend public school…other than I’d deny all religous/philosophical exemptions. You don’t like what society requires as minimally acceptable behavior, then go live in the woods, Unabomber style…

Comment by WestBurbs Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 1:16 pm
Good news

=The analysis used data collected between Jan. 17 and March 6, when Pfizer’s vaccine was the only available shot in the country and when the more transmissible B.1.1.7 variant from the U.K. was the dominant strain=

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/11/pfizer-covid-vaccine-blocks-94percent-of-asymptomatic-infections-and-97percent-of-symptomatic-cases-in-israeli-study.html

@WestBurbs - I hope you understand, I’m all for a phased reopen. I don’t care if you have to wear a mask at the Auto Show - just that show can start to go on again (soon).

And yes.. the impact on the minority community is on my mind.

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-pandemics-existential-threat-to-black-owned-businesses

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Mar 11, 21 @ 1:33 pm