PARIS, BACK TO YOU.
>> AMANDA, THANK YOU.
CHICAGO'S LOOSENING THE PANDEMIC
RESTRICTIONS JUST A BIT MORE.
THE MAYOR MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT
AT NAVY PIER.
THE CITY WILL ENTER PHASE 4
REGULATIONS THAT COULD HAVE AN
IMPACT ON RESTAURANTS AND BARS
AND THEATERS AND PLACES OF
WORSHIP.
BRANDIS FRIEDMAN AND QUINN MYERS
SPENT THE DAY REPORTING AROUND
NAVY PIER AS IT BEGINS A PHASED
REOPENING STARTING TOMORROW.
BRANDIS, SPELL IT OUT WHAT DOES
THIS ALL MEAN?
>> SO IMMEDIATELY IT MEANS
INCREASED CAPACITY ACROSS A
NUMBER OF INDUSTRIES IN CHICAGO
AND WE'LL BREAK THOSE DOWN IN A
BIT.
BUT THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC
HEALTH Dr. ALLISON ARWADY SAYS
THE REASON WE ARE HERE IS
BECAUSE THE CASE NUMBERS AND
POSITIVITY RATES AND
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND ICU
ADMISSIONS HAVE FALLEN OR
STABILIZED.
>> SEEING THOSE NUMBERS GO DOWN
OR BE STABLE IS THE TICKET TO
REOPENING.
THIS IS HAPPENING, MAKE NO
MISTAKE, BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE
GETTING VACCINATED.
>> SO HERE IS WHAT THE LOOSENED
RESTRICTIONS MEAN.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS CAN
INCREASE INDOOR CAPACITY TO 50%
OR 100 PEOPLE.
WHICHEVER IS SMALLER.
LARGE INDOOR THEATERS AND VENUES
INCLUDING THE UNITED CENTER CAN
OPEN AT 25% CAPACITY.
FESTIVALS AND OUTDOOR EVENTS
LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD FESTIVALS
CAN OPERATE AT 15 PEOPLE PER
1,000 SCARE FEET.
AND --
SQUARE FEET.
AND GUESTS WHO ARE VACCINATED
WILL NOT BE COUNTED TOWARDS
CAPACITY LIMITS LIKE WEDDINGS.
Dr. ALLISON ARWADY EMPHASIZES
THE NEED TO GET VACCINATED AND
ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME
FOR THE CITY TO KEEP TURNING
THAT DIAL REOPENING.
WHILE THE CITY'S POSITIVITY RATE
IS LOWER AT 4.7% SHE AND THE
MAYOR WARN WE ARE NOT OUT OF THE
WOODS.
>> WHAT WE'VE SEEN ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND PLACES IS THIS
ENTHUSIASM TO REOPEN.
WE SAW THAT A LOT LAST SUMMER.
AND PEOPLE WENT TO VERY HIGH
CAPACITY LEVELS ONLY TO HAVE TO
SHUT EVERYTHING BACK DOWN VERY
QUICKLY.
WE ARE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN
WE WERE LAST SUMMER BECAUSE WE
HAVE THE VACCINE.
>> NOW, THE MAYOR AND HEALTH
COMMISSIONER SAY IF THESE
FALLING CASES AND STABILIZING
RATES CAN HOLD STEADY FOR TWO
WEEKS THE CITY COULD JOIN THE
STATE OF ILLINOIS IN ENTERING
THAT BRIDGE PHASE WHERE
RESTRICTIONS ARE LOOSENED
FURTHER.
THAT WOULD BE A WELCOME CHANGE
FOR TOURISM BUSINESSES LIKE
STEVE'S SEGWAY NEAR THE
LAKEFRONT THE OWNER HAS BEEN IN
BUSINESS 14 YEARS AND HE AND HIS
TOUR GUIDES TAKE PRIDE IN BEING
THE BEST.
MANY ARE PART OF THE GIG ECONOMY
AND THEY WERE ABLE TO KEEP
WORKING DURING THE PANDEMIC BUT
HE FELT LIKE HE IS HEMORRHAGING
MONEY WITH RARE SEGWAY TOURS HE
LOST 90-95% OF HIS BUSINESS.
>> A GHOST TOWN.
PART OF A SCI-FI MOVIE IS HOW MY
TOUR GUIDES DESCRIBED BEING ON
CAMPUS AT TIMES TODAY.
>> SO, HE IS HOPEFUL TO SEE THAT
RETURN.
MEANWHILE, THE CITY ARCHITECTURE
CENTER IS REQUIRING MASKS ON
OUTDOOR WALKING AND BOAT TOURS
DESPITE THE CDC'S GUIDANCE FOLKS
OUTSIDE AND VACCINATED DON'T
NEED THEIR MASKS.
BUT THE CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE
CENTER SAYS THEY ARE OPERATING
AS A REDUCED CAPACITY AND
NOTICING A RETURN IN INTEREST.
THEY HAVE RECEIVED CALLS FROM
PEOPLE LOOKING TO MAKEUP
RESERVATIONS AND WALK-UP
BUSINESS IS STEADY.
LYNN OSMOND EXPLAINS THAT
ARCHITECTURE IS THE BACKBONE OF
CHICAGO'S TOURISM.
>> IT REALLY SIGNALS THE REBIRTH
OF WHAT IS GOING ON AFTER THE
GREAT FIRE AND NOW THE REBIRTH
AS WE LOOK POST PANDEMIC AND
IT'S FUN TO SEE BUILDINGS LIKE
THE ST. REGENT GIST OPENING UP.
ON THE RIVER CRUISE THERE ARE
LOTS OF BUILDINGS THAT CREPT UP
OVER THE PANDEMIC YEAR.
>> OSMOND IS THE VICE-CHAIR OF
CHOOSE CHICAGO THE CITY'S
TOURISM INFORMATION CENTER.
AND THE CAC AVERAGED MORE THAN
80% SOLD CAPACITY OF ITS TOURS
IN APRIL, HOTELS ARE AT 50%
CAPACITY ON WEEKENDS AND SURVEY
OF CONSUMERS SAYS 32% OF THOSE
SURVEYED ARE READY TO TRAVEL
AGAIN.
STILL A LITTLE BIT OF ROOM TO
GROW FOR A COUPLE INDUSTRIES.
PARIS, WHEN WE COME BACK, AS WE