Mayor Calls On Sports Teams To Help Amplify Coronavirus Safety

CHICAGO — With increasing cases of the coronavirus, especially among young adults, Mayor Lori Lightfoot is making a new push to emphasize the importance of wearing masks and social distancing.

The “We Are All One Home Team” campaign is designed to visually highlight the importance of wearing masks as Chicago continues to reopen by highlighting athletes and mascots wearing facial coverings.

The Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Fire, Red Stars, Sky, and White Sox are all announced partners with the initiative. It will use digital and out-of-home billboards around Chicago, social media channels and additional supporting elements to reiterate the importance of the latest public health guidelines in the city.

“If we’re going to win against the greatest public health challenge we’ve ever faced, none of us can afford to sit on the sidelines and warm the benches,” Lightfoot said Tuesday in a news release. “The ‘We Are All One Home Team’ campaign means that we all have a role to play in keeping each other safe, especially our youngest residents who must continue to follow our public health guidelines. We cannot afford to let our guard down — it’s time to team up with your masks up.”

The initiative comes following announcements by the mayor that the city will further restrict bars and restaurants as COVID-19 cases begin to rise locally.

"We have made so much progress here in Chicago in containing the spread of the virus, protecting our health system and saving lives, and in general, the virus remains under control locally," Lightfoot said in a statement. "But we are again seeing a steady increase in new cases."

With the increase in new cases being greatest in the 18-29 age range, the city hopes to send young people into the streets of hot spot areas to communicate with their peers about the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. Last week, Lightfoot announced that since June 15, nearly 30 percent of new cases in Chicago have come from those ages 18 to 29.