No plans to require COVID-19 vaccine proof for indoor spaces, say DeKalb County municipal leaders

DeKALB - DeKalb County municipal officials said this week they have no plans to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for access to public places or businesses at this time, as has been done in Chicago.

Amid record-setting COVID-19 cases surging and overwhelming area hospitals, Gov. JB Pritzker has asked statewide municipal leadesr to consider similair actions to stem the spread of the latest viral wave. Officials in DeKalb County said they aren’t planning at this time to do so, however, citing effectiveness and saying they’d rather prioritize encouraging more folks to get vaccinated.

“We will always follow whatever the governor’s guidance is, along with the DeKalb County Health Department,” said DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes.

Starting Monday, the city of Chicago and Cook County are mandating proof of vaccine that will apply to everyone age 5 and older and includes restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, and other venues like sports and entertainment arenas, and anywhere food and drink are served. Folks attempting to enter those places will need to show a vaccination card before being allowed entry. St. Charles City Council also took up the issue this week, voicing opposition to such measures.

Barnes said he doesn’t think requiring proof of vaccination for people in DeKalb County would work unless every town and city took up the same rules.

“When it comes down to it, one town doing something like that, I don’t think it will be significant because all the surrounding towns are not,” said Barnes. “People are coming and going all the time, I think it would have to be something not even at a state but a national level for it to be effective.”

DeKalb City Manager Bill Nicklas said city officials are continuing to monitor COVID-19 case surges and vaccination rates, and encouraged people who haven’t already to seek the shot, and to wear a mask everywhere they go.

“As we survey the media landscape, we know that in some communities they have been really rocked by an upsurge in positive cases,” Nicklas said.

Over the New Year holiday week, DeKalb County recorded its largest number of new COVID-19 cases ever, more than 1,100, according to the DeKalb County Health Department. It’s a weekly record that nearly doubled the previous one, recorded in mid-November 2020 before a vaccine was even available to the general public. Over the past 24 hours, nearly 200 more cases were reported in DeKalb County. Health officials have said the true number of virus cases isn’t known but probably higher than reported, since at-home rapid COVID-19 tests aren’t reported to the health department.

A week ago, doctors at Northwestern Medicine pleaded with the public to get vaccinated and to not go to the emergency rooms unless absolutely necessary, to not stretch already-burdened resources seeking something like a COVID-10 test, which can be obtained elsewhere. As of Tuesday, the state health department reported seven Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds are available in Region 1, a geographical area which includes DeKalb County, the Sauk Valley and north to Rockford.

[ ‘If you don’t have to come to the hospital, please don’t’ Northwestern Medicine doctor says amid COVID-19 surge ]

Officials with the DeKalb County government say the topic isn’t something the county board has discussed.

“It’s not something that has come up at this time,” said DeKalb County Administrator Brian Gregory.

Sycamore city officials echoed that sentiment, and said the city will continue to look to federal, state and local health experts to guide action. Newly-appointed City Sycamore Manager Michael Hall, who’s first day on the job would have been Monday, was not available for comment because he has contracted COVID-19, said Sycamore Mayor Steve Braser during Monday’s city council meeting.

Assistant City Manager Maggie Peck, who’s served in an acting manager capacity for nearly a year, took over for Hall during Monday’s meeting.

“The city is not looking at a vaccine mandate,” Peck said. “[We’re] just continuing to do the same safety precautionary measures while following the CDC and the health department.”