NOTE: Arwady's address can be streamed live at 1 p.m. in the player above.
Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady is expected to deliver a COVID-19 update Tuesday afternoon.
Speaking at 1 p.m., Arwady and CDPH Medical Director Dr. Geraldine Luna and Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, are expected to address COVID case counts, vaccination data and "provide an update on Chicago's Travel Advisory, including a transition of the advisory to align with new CDC county-level COVID risk data."
The announcement comes nearly one month from the date the city and state lifted masking requirements and Chicago removed its indoor vaccination mandate. Despite relaxed mitigations, the TSA's mask mandate remains in place, however.
The address also comes as city health officials say they are closely monitoring a rise in other parts of the world due in part to a subvariant known as BA.2 or "stealth omicron."
"We're on heightened alert with the increase in cases of BA.2, increase in hospitalizations in the UK as an early warning signal for what could potentially occur here in the United States," said Dr. Gregory Huhn, an infectious disease physician and the COVID-19 vaccine coordinator for Cook County Health.
U.S. health experts are warning BA.2 could soon lead to another uptick in domestic coronavirus cases and many are watching what happens over the next few weeks.
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"I'm going to be honest, I am concerned about what's happening in Europe because I think there is not a full understanding of it," Arwady said during a Facebook Live Thursday.
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