Hope Milwaukee enjoyed cramming 65,000 outside of the deciding game of the NBA Finals the other night - because local, state and federal officials will insist a return to lockdown restrictions. Per Worldometers, more than 56,000 new cases were reported in the United States on Wednesday, a return to 100,000 daily cases appears inevitable by August. In Illinois, a new Gamma variant is accounting to four times the cases of the better known Delta form of the virus. It appears whatever good vaccinations did over the past several months has been overrun by variants.
"I am a little concerned about what the future may hold," a Chicago health official said. Chicago's Lollapalooza is still scheduled for next week, and expected to attract upwards of 100,000 spectators. The Canadian border is even expected to reopen on August 9.
Still, Covid patient wards have reopened and beds are again full at many hospitals.
Teachers unions in major cities also remain hesitant on returning to full classrooms as the pandemic approaches the 18-month milestone. The decade of Covid is showing no signs of letting up.