COVID-19 rules could tighten as cases rise

Why it matters: Every Illinois county has now reached "high transmission" levels.

• Winnebago County issued a disaster declaration in response to skyrocketing cases and hospitalizations last week.
• A new COVID surge at Chicago Public Schools has put 10,000 students in quarantine.
• Chicago cases have tripled in eight weeks.
• The Bulls are in the midst of an active outbreak. More than half the team is in health and safety protocols.
• At least one recent event suggests current regulations are only spottily enforced. At Saturday's TBOX bar crawl, thousands jammed into Wrigleyville bars without masks.

Between the lines: Illinois has recently seen a daily rise in vaccinations, with a rolling average of 72,775 jabs last week.

What they're saying: Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) wants lawmakers to consider stronger measures.

• "One option would be limiting the number of people that can attend a bar or restaurant, you know, capping it at 50% perhaps or less," Ramirez-Rosa told NBC News.

• Health Commissioner Allison Arwady said she won't rule out requiring vaccination proof to attend public gatherings.

Reality check: The Department of Business Affairs told us last week they were sending teams to Wrigleyville bars to "remind them to abide by the mask mandate" during TBOX.

• We checked in at half a dozen bars and didn't spot a single indoor patron following the mandate.