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Credit: Mayor's Office

CHICAGO — Millennium Park’s Great Lawn has reopened, but with changes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Great Lawn — where people gather to relax, take in the sun and watch events at the Pritzker Pavilion — reopened Friday. It had been closed for months as officials tried to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The city has painted “social distancing circles” across the lawn. People are meant to spread out inside the circles, but not go out further, to ensure there’s at least 6 feet of space between visitors.

While Chicago has seen declining numbers of new confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus, officials have said people still need to keep 6 feet apart, wear masks and wash their hands frequently.

And events at Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park have been canceled for the summer to prevent crowding.

Millennium Park as a whole reopened in mid-June. It’s open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, but there are still restrictions at the famed park to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Visitors can enter at Michigan Avenue and Madison Street, and they’ll have to exit at Michigan Avenue and Washington Street. If capacity is reached, visitors have to wait in physically distanced lines at the entrance, according to a city press release from the reopening.

Visitors have to stick to groups of 10 people or fewer, and there are park “ambassadors” who remind groups to stay 6 feet apart, according to the city.

People are required to wear face coverings.

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

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