Elk Grove Village summer events, concerts will take place without COVID restrictions, mayor says

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. (WLS) -- The mayor of Elk Grove Village doubled down on his plans to host large summer events.

The village said people will not have to wear masks or socially distance.

Elk Grove Village geared up for a series of large summer events and prepared to host big crowds during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"For those people ready to move, safely, we are going to do it," said Mayor Craig Johnson, Elk Grove Village.

Last year, the village canceled Rotary Fest and the summer concert series due to COVID-19 restrictions. This year, however, Mayor Craig Johnson is ready for the return of those events.

"We feel that with the guidelines and the vaccination rate right now in our community that we feel we can step away from the masks and bring the community back to normal," Mayor Johnson said.

Masks will not be required at the events. Also, there will not be capacity limits or social distancing requirements in place, according to the mayor. The relaxing of the COVID-19 protocols start in June.

The events pull in thousands of people each year.

"We are still a few months away. We are firm but flexible," Mayor Johnson said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, even people who have been fully vaccinated should avoid medium or large gatherings.

Officials said they are closely monitoring the COVID-19 positivity rate, the number of residents vaccinated and the hospitalization numbers.

"If they do not feel comfortable, they do not have to come. This is not mandatory, but again, we have to move on to normalcy and by July, we feel comfortable," Mayor Johnson said.

As COVID-19 cases climb and new variants appear, the mayor said the plans could change.

"The Cook County Department of Public will investigate this and provide the appropriate guidance based on current required mitigation. Because this concert series is planned for June, it is too soon to be definitive about guidance other than masks will certainly be required," said Dr. Rachel Rubin, Senior Public Health Medical Officer and Co-Lead, Cook County Department of Public Health.