Lollapalooza demands vaccine or negative COVID test

CHICAGO —

Crowds arriving at Chicago’s Grant Park for the Lollapalooza music festival this week will be required to show proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested negative for the disease in the past three days.

The four-day festival kicks off Thursday and is expected to return to full capacity, with nearly 100,000 attendees daily. After being suspended last year due to the threat of the coronavirus, it will be by far the largest congregation in Chicago since the pandemic began and also one of the largest festivals in the country.

This festival will look very different from past editions. In order to enter, attendees must present vaccination cards or a printed copy of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before. That means that whoever has a pass for the four days of the event and is not vaccinated, will have to take two tests. Also, those who are not vaccinated will have to wear a mask.

Public health authorities and others have expressed concern that such a large congregation, even outdoors, will become a mass contagion event. Dutch authorities were surprised after a much smaller music festival, attended by 20,000 people over two days, sparked nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases, CNBC reported. That festival implemented measures similar to those of Lollapalooza.

Despite the recent increase in cases for the highly contagious delta variant, Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said this week that she is comfortable with performing Lollapalooza as planned due to the precautions that are being put in place. taking the organizers, who according to her have gone “beyond” expectations.

In addition to the entry requirements, the organizers have reviewed the ventilation of the confined spaces and made sure that assembly workers are vaccinated, face masks are available and tests are available for the ticket office workers.

“I wouldn’t be comfortable doing Lollapalooza without the COVID protocols in place,” Arwady said. “I don’t think I would feel comfortable if this was a closed forum event. And frankly, I wouldn’t feel comfortable if we were now in Louisiana, where cases look like they do. “

Although the number of new daily cases in Chicago has risen from 104 a week to 176 by Wednesday, the city has not had the rebound seen in other parts of the country in recent weeks, and its average daily deaths and hospitalizations has dropped slightly.

“We are taking COVID seriously,” Arwady said.

At the same time “when you have so many people coming, there are almost certainly some cases. But I am confident in combining what we know about limiting risk in open spaces with vaccination and / or testing, “he added.

Representatives from Lollapalooza did not immediately respond to a request for more information about their check-in process, but the festival’s website says there will be people attending each entrance to search all of the attendees’ bags and make sure no one with large bags enters. .

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