By Nick Gale, 890 WLS News
(CHICAGO) — With COVID numbers hitting over 400 new cases per day in Chicago some are concerned that metric will keep schools closed but Dr. Allison Arwady is optimistic.
“Compared to the beginning of school last year we’ve learned a whole lot about how to keep kids safe in school and importantly we have a vaccine available,” Arwady told the Bruce St. James Show.
CPS has mandated that all adults working in schools be vaccinated.
“I have no hesitation at all about coming back to school on August 30 and we continue to follow cases, hospitalizations in kids, all the data looks really good here in Chicago so we’re good to go,” Arwady said.
Currently Chicago is averaging 419 new COVID cases per day. As for the DELTA variant, Arwady says the numbers in Chicago are holding and there hasn’t been an increase in child hospitalizations.
Meanwhile, CPS emailed parents guidance for student athletes. Officials say starting September 1, all student athletes in grades 5-12 will be required to either submit proof of their COVID vaccination if they are eligible or participate in weekly COVID testing during their sports season.
Any child who is fully vaccinated will be exempted from the weekly COVID-19 testing requirement to participate in sports.
Some suburban school districts have already opened for the year.
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