Chicago mask mandate 2021: City's top doctor hopeful to drop indoor restriction before end of year

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago's top doctor, Allison Arwady, said she is hopeful that the city's indoor mask mandate can be dropped before the end of the year.

Dr. Arwady spoke about the mandate while getting a flu shot and COVID booster at Kennedy King College Saturday morning.

RELATED: CDC updates holiday guidance, urges vaccines and masking

She said she's a little worried about COVID cases increasing as people starting spending more time inside this fall, but right now, things are trending in the right direction.

"For the next few weeks, at least, it is here to stay," Arwady said. "We're a little over 300 cases right now, so when we're halfway in that substantial mark, we will recommend taking them off."

RELATED: 10 citations issued to Chicago businesses for violating COVID restrictions

Arwady said if new cases in Chicago go below 200 per day, that's when the mandate could end.