Biden Will Visit Chicago To Talk Vaccine Mandates

CHICAGO — President Joe Biden will visit Chicago on Wednesday to encourage vaccine mandates for businesses, the White House confirmed.

Officials did not specify where the president will go during his Sept. 29 visit, but the Chicago Sun-Times reported he will highlight one Chicago business that's enforcing a vaccine mandate.

Both Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker have been supportive of businesses mandating vaccinations for customers and workers, though they have not issued a city or statewide mandate.

While city and state workers, teachers, health care workers and college students are required to get vaccinated, Chicago has stopped short of requiring proof of vaccination for public indoor spaces like New York City, San Francisco and New Orleans.

Vaccine Required For Teachers, Health Care Workers In Illinois

"I applaud those venues requiring vaccination proof or a negative test to get admittance," Lightfoot said earlier this month. "I think we'll see more of that. This is a conversation happening across every industry sector, and we support it.”

Lightfoot announced a new citywide vaccination campaign Thursday to aim to get 77 percent of eligible Chicagoans at least partially vaccinated by the year's end. The plan aligns with Biden's goal to slow the spread of the delta variant by requiring vaccinations for millions of government workers.

Under the federal plan, all employers with more than 100 workers will have to require employees to be vaccinated or take a weekly COVID-19 test. Roughly 17 million workers at health care facilities that receive federal funds will also have to be fully vaccinated.

Biden is also requiring full vaccination for executive branch employees, with no option to take a weekly test.

This will be the second time Biden has visited the area as president. In July, Biden visited Crystal Lake to rally support for his infrastructure plan.