About two months after bars and restaurants reopened for indoor service, establishments in Will and Kankakee counties will have to close the doors again, returning to takeout service until the region’s infection rates recede.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced on Monday new COVID-19 mitigation efforts will be implemented in Region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee counties, beginning Wednesday, Aug. 26, after the region reached 8 percent positivity for three days.
For Region 7, mitigation measures include:
Bars
- No indoor service.
- All outside bar service closes at 11 p.m.
- All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside.
- No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed).
- Tables should be 6 feet apart.
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting.
- No dancing or standing indoors.
- Reservations required for each party.
- No seating of multiple parties at one table.
Restaurants
- No indoor dining or bar service.
- All outdoor dining closes at 11 p.m.
- Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart.
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting.
- Reservations required for each party.
- No seating of multiple parties at one table.
Meetings, Social Events, Gatherings
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity
- No party buses
- Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00pm, are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable
These mitigations do not currently apply to schools and the measures will remain in effect over a 14-day period after which time more stringent mitigation measures can be implemented if metrics do not improve. View the new mitigations online here.
At a news conference on Tuesday, Pritzker acknowledged the Region 7 mitigation steps are more restrictive than those imposed recently on Region 4, which includes seven counties adjacent to St. Louis. But he said the milder restrictions there were a mistake, noting the infection rates have continue to be high there.
“This is a red alert for everyone,” he said. “It demands a renewed effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.”
He said the restrictions were not intended to punish the two affected regions but to help them reduce the spread of the virus.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) continues to monitor each region in the state for several key indicators to identify early, but significant increases of COVID-19 transmission in Illinois, potentially signifying resurgence. Indictors include an increase in COVID-19 cases with a simultaneous decrease in hospital capacity, or three consecutive days greater than or equal to 8% test positivity rate (7 day rolling).
These indicators can be used to determine whether additional community mitigation interventions are needed for a region to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.
IDPH will track the positivity rate in both regions to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigations should remain in place.
If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5 percent over a 14-day period, then Regions 4 and 7 will return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan. If the positivity rate averages between 6.5 percent and 8 percent, the new mitigations will remain in place and unchanged. If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent after 14 days, more stringent mitigations will be applied to further reduce spread of the virus.
Pritzker said he hopes the new restrictions will help the two regions turn things around quickly so hospitality businesses can reopen soon.
In Region 10, which includes Homewood and Flossmoor, the positivity rate was 6.7 percent as of Aug. 21. The region had seen 5 days of infection rate increase and hospital admission increase.
A full list of mitigation measures pertaining to some businesses and industries may be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website at www.dceocovid19resources.com/restore-illinois.
Pritzker also announced an addition to the statewide face covering mandate that was imposed on May 1. The new policy requires all patrons to wear face coverings when interacting with wait staff in bars and restaurants.
“It’s important that we treat hospitality employees as any other essential workers,” he said.
IDPH Director Ngoze Ezike underlined the need for adherence to the face covering mandate.
“In order for businesses to continue doing business we can’t do business as usual,” she said, and offered blunt advice to those who don’t comply. “Stop wearing your face coverings incorrectly. You’re contributing to transmission. To the people who say face coverings don’t work, you’re wrong. Face coverings do save lives. They must be used in conjunction with social distancing and hand washing.”