COVID-19 Chicago: Mayor Lightfoot urges Chicagoans not to travel, visit homes for Thanksgiving

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot urged Chicagoans to stay home and not to gather for Thanksgiving this year due to COVID-19.

"Let put this bluntly as I can, we are extremely concerned about Thanksgiving weekend becoming a super spreader event," Mayor Lightfoot said.

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Mayor Lightfoot even teamed up with other mayors in the suburbs to make this video stressing the importance of staying home and staying safe:

This as the COVID-19 cases still remain very high throughout the state and across the Chicago area, with 23,000 actives cases right now.

"When we are seeing these numbers nationally, we know that COVID-19 is traveling with them," Dr. Arwady said.

Dr. Arwady warned of the potential for an after Thanksgiving surge is great, especially as millions of people have passed thru airports since Friday and millions more will hit the road to travel to see family this week.

If people choose to keep their plans, the emphasis from health officials is still on practicing social distancing, hand washing and the use of face masks.

Dr. Arwady did say that Chicago is ready to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, which could be ready to go by mid-December.

On Tuesday, Chicago's testing site at a Midway Airport parking lot opened for the first time to provide more testing for residents on the Southwest Side.

RELATED: Illinois coronavirus testing: Permanent testing site opens in Midway Airport parking lot

The testing site at Midway Airport's Parking Lot B will open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.