Dupage Policy Journal

Former state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R) has compared Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) to the cow that - according to legend - started the Great Chicago Fire after Lightfoot announced new vaccine mandates for patrons of restaurants and gyms in the New Year.

In a Dec. 21 tweet, Lightfoot announced the new policy requiring proof of full vaccination to enter certain types of businesses where she wrote, "we have no choice."

"Lori Lightfoot staring (sic) as Mrs. O'Leary's cow," Ives wrote in a Dec. 21 Facebook post. 

Lightfoot claimed the city was experiencing a "fifth wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic when she issued the mandate for bars, restaurants, gyms, coffee shops, breweries, banquet halls, hotel ballrooms, fitness classes, movie theaters, concert venues, sports arenas, bowling alleys and preforming arts centers. NBC 5 Chicago reported the mandate applies for anyone 5 years and older and those 16 and older will also have to show identification. According to CBS New York, New York City has a similar mandate in place.

According to NewsNation Now, Illinois is one of eight states in the nation currently with a statewide mask mandate regardless of vaccination status.  

Jennifer Frazer, an American Association for the Advancement of Science Journalism Award-winning science writer, found that even if people are fully vaccinated, they are contracting and spreading the virus in nontrivial numbers. In an article she wrote for Scientific American she noted that even the WHO director-general said vaccines are roughly "40% effective" at preventing the spread of COVID-19.