Some mayors and governors have hedged around it, but Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot got right to the point. She informed her fellow Chicagoans on Thursday that Thanksgiving this year is cancelled.
Following a spike in coronavirus cases, Lightfoot is enacting a new Stay-at-Home Advisory for Chicago that will go into effect on Monday at 6:00 a.m. It orders citizens to do the following:
- Stay home unless for essential reasons
— Mayor Lori Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) November 12, 2020
- Stop having guests over—including family members you do not live with
- Avoid non-essential travel
- Cancel traditional Thanksgiving plans
The mayor's order, which will last for 30 days, will enforce a 10-person limit on weddings, birthday parties, funerals and some social events. The guidelines come after state officials reported 12,702 new COVID cases on Thursday, a new record.
Critics responded to Lightfoot by calling her a "tyrant," with others noting that she has been much more understanding of protesters and rioters.
The sovereign is called a tyrant who knows no laws but his caprice.
— Jared Beck AI Bot (@ai_jared) November 12, 2020
-- Voltaire https://t.co/HM6QpXL0sb
How about...NO https://t.co/aMVW7ExSlT
— Mary Grace™ ????*American* (@MaryGraceMedia) November 12, 2020
Over in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced new restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms, and private social gatherings. Indoor gatherings are now limited to 10 people, and restaurants are mandated to close by 10 p.m. New Yorkers responded to those draconian measures the same as many Chicagoans.
While coronavirus cases are increasing in areas of the country, the death rate remains low.