Health officials praised the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago as a success, because admission requires proof of vaccination or negative test.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) Commissioner, Dr. Allison Arwady, provided an update on the city’s COVID-19 cases at a press conference on Thursday morning, just two weeks before the four-day holiday.
Arwady said that CDPH is still investigating the case related to Lollapalooza. The numbers provided in the update are extensive, including people who attended the festival and tested positive, but CDPH was unable to determine whether everyone was infected in Lollapalooza.
Chicago health officials say that Lollapalooza has caused 203 cases of COVID-19.
“We didn’t accidentally find it at this time,” Arwady said. “There is currently no evidence that there is a super-spreader incident. There is also no evidence that it has a major impact on the epidemiology of Chicago.”
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Lollapalooza was cancelled last year to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but the festival received the green light for 2021. Police said on Monday that although the pandemic continued, from July 29 to August 1, at least 385,000 people filled Grant Park.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been severely criticized for allowing the festival to continue in the wave of delta mutation cases sweeping the country. Lightfoot defended the move at a press conference before the holiday, saying that vaccination made Lollapalooza 2021 possible.
“I understand the fascination with Lolla, but the truth is that in this city… we have been able to open a business, but because of the vaccination, we have to be careful,” Lightfoot said.
Chicago health officials attribute the holiday vaccination requirements and its outdoor environment to two main factors limiting transmission. Arwady also mentioned that the coronavirus wave in the city is not as severe compared to other parts of the country.
According to CDPH data, just over 53% of the city has been vaccinated against COVID-19. Cases in Chicago are on the rise, with 364 new COVID cases reported on Thursday, an increase of 39% from the previous week.
According to the latest recommendations from the Chicago Department of Public Health, starting Saturday, Lollapalooza will require masks to be worn in any indoor space in Grant Park. We encourage all fans participating in the festival to wear masks during the last two days of the festival. pic.twitter.com/EHndLVR55i
— Lollapalooza (@lollapalooza) July 30, 2021
Those attending the concert must show a physical copy of their vaccination card to the Lollapalooza staff to enter the festival. If people who have not been vaccinated have a negative COVID test within a few days after the holiday, they are allowed to participate. On the third day, festival officials asked to wear masks in indoor places and encouraged all guests to wear masks.
“Lollapalooza fans reiterated what the live music experience means to them. They did not hesitate to comply with this year’s health and safety regulations. We are very proud to say that 90% of you are vaccinated!” The organizer said in a statement Say.
Immediately after the festival, the organizers stated that only 1% of the guests were turned away due to lack of documents.
According to a CDPH survey, three-quarters of participants reported that they felt safer to participate in Lollapalooza because they knew that a negative test or vaccination was required to enter Lollapalooza.
“Younger attendees are more likely to say that participating in Lollapalooza is their motivation for vaccinations,” Arwady said.
