Chicago to require migrants in shelters get vaccinated for measles, relaxes eviction policy
CHICAGO (CBS) -- After a recent outbreak of measles in city-run shelters, Chicago said Friday it will now require migrants staying there to get the MMR vaccine to prevent further cases.
The city also said it will not evict thousands of migrants from shelters on Saturday, as was the plan previously.
Officials are prioritizing six shelters to get to a 95% vaccination rate by the end of this weekend.
"Our priority right now is to safeguard the health of the new arrivals," said Dr. Olusimbo Ige, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health. "So while people are still in that interim phase before the vaccine becomes fully effective, we want to keep them in quarantine so that they're not exposed to more measles cases and get sick."
City delays some evictions
On the verge of being moved out of shelters throughout Chicago, the city said that thanks to availability, some migrant families in a shelter will receive up to three 30-day extensions through June 10. That should keep families in the same place through the end of this school year.
CBS 2 has learned that 34 people will be evicted on Sunday, and they'll be responsible for returning to the landing zone should they decide to reapply for a bed within the city's network. Those who will be evicted were housed at the Elston, Gage Park, and Wadsworth shelters.
In all, more than 3,800 people would have had to exit shelters, but they will no longer have to with Friday's rule change.
Asylum seekers can also apply for extensions if they are in the process of securing permanent housing and can show proof of that progress, for mental health reasons, a disability, pregnancy, or for other medical reasons.
To date, the city says 14,700 people have exited shelters to resettle across the Chicago area.
At last check, the Chicago Department of Public Health has confirmed 12 measles cases since last Friday. Ten of those cases have been traced back to the city's largest migrant shelter, in Pilsen, including at least two migrant children who attend Chicago Public Schools. Under the city's new policy, no one under a 21-day quarantine due to measles exposure will have to leave.
The mayor's office has not answered questions about how many migrants will be impacted starting Saturday, when people return to the landing zone, or what the reapplication process will look like.