THAT’S A RELIEF

Lollapalooza Was Not a Superspreader Event, Chicago’s Top Doctor Says

Dr. Allison Arwady, Chicago’s Commissioner of Public Health, made the statement at a press conference Thursday.

Lollapalooza was not a super-spreader event, Chicago’s top doctor said Thursday. “There have been no unexpected findings at this point and NO evidence at this point of “super-spreader” event or substantial impact to Chicago’s COVID-19 epidemiology,” Dr. Allison Arwady tweeted. The outdoor festival took place over the last weekend of July, just as health officials began recommending those in areas of high COVID-19 spread wear masks. This prompted fears that the event—which included headliners like Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, and the Foo Fighters—might contribute to high levels of spread. The festival mandated either a COVID-19 vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test to attend.

Arwady later said at a press conference Thursday that 88 percent of Lollapalooza’s 385,000 attendees were vaccinated. About 0.0004 percent of vaccinated attendees tested positive, while a higher 0.0016 percent of unvaccinated attendees got the virus. Of those, there have been no hospitalizations or deaths. “If folks are going to large events, please get vaccinated,” Arwady said. “It helps reduce risk for everybody.”