Batavia 'Inspire' Event Postponed 3 Months Due To COVID-19 Surge

BATAVIA, IL — A spike in COVID-19 cases has forced the Batavia Chamber of Commerce to postpone its annual event celebrating the community by three months.

Originally set to take place Jan. 27, Inspire 2022: A Celebration of Those Who Inspire Us is now planned for April 28. More details will be released as the date nears, the Chamber announced Wednesday.

Before the change in plans for the Inspire event, awards were going to be given out and celebrations would have endured at the Lincoln Inn Banquets. But those people and organizations — including the Batavia Community Band and citizen of the year Daniel Hoefler — will now be awarded later in the spring.

The Chamber is not the first to postpone events in Batavia because of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases. Water Street Studios, a gallery located in downtown Batavia, also announced it would reschedule its upcoming art show two weeks in hopes the surge dies down, Patch reported.

The same day both groups announced the changes to their event planning, the Kane County Health Department reported one in five county residents is testing positive for the virus.

RELATED: 1 In 5 Kane County Residents Testing Positive For COVID-19: KCHD

Kane County is experiencing an average of more than 900 cases of COVID-19 per day in the last week, the health department said. The percentage of the population vaccinated continues to increase, too. So far, 66.8 percent of people 5 and older are fully vaccinated, Patch reported.

More reading about Inspire awards:

• Six Businesses Awarded For Investment, Confidence In Batavia
• Community Band To Receive Spirit Of Batavia Award
• 'Tireless Volunteer And Leader' Named Batavia Citizen Of The Year