With Lollapalooza Coming Up, Pritzker Warns Of More Restrictions

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Amid rising COVID-19 cases and the uncertainty about the delta variant, Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned residents this week that certain counties could be placed under coronavirus restrictions yet again.

With major festivals like Lollapalooza coming up, Pritzker said his main concern is increased hospitalizations, adding that vaccines can help reduce the intensity of coronavirus cases.

"How many people are going into the hospital and getting very sick, and how many of those are going into ICU beds? So we are monitoring that across the state," he said during a recent press conference.

But next week, Pritzker told reporters he is planning to attend Lollapalooza, the large downtown music festival, because he feels it's safe for him to do so.

"It's an outdoor festival, as you know, and it's safer outdoors than it is indoors," Pritzker said during an unrelated news conference. "I know lots of people will attend. I think, again, it's up to individuals to make a decision about whether they want to be in a large group."

Pritzker reiterated the importance of COVID-19 testing as a preventative measure, but did not specify which restrictions would come back.

"I believe strongly that we will impose mitigations as it's appropriate, where it's appropriate," Pritzker said in a one-on-one interview with NBC Chicago's Mary Ann Ahern.

Also Friday, Cook County Department of Public Health released updated back-to-school guidelines that recommend masks be mandatory in school settings regardless of vaccination status.

"It is always a difficult thing for me," Pritzker added. "I wake up every morning and look at those numbers and when they're rising, that's a bad day."

Fifty-five percent of Illinois residents ages 12 and older are fully vaccinated, while 71 percent have had at least one dose of the vaccine. Of Illinois seniors ages 65 and older, 75 percent are fully vaccinated.