The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Saturday that Region 5 meets the requirements to introduce level 1 coronavirus mitigation, meaning that the indoor dining room can be resumed.
Region 5, located in southern Illinois, can immediately introduce Level 1 mitigation, including interior and bar catering service. The region includes the following counties: Marion, Jefferson, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Williamson, Saline, Hamilton, White, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Massac, and Pulaski.
At level 1, the region will be able to open restaurants covered for 25 people or with 25% capacity per room, whichever is less, with only four people allowed per table.
The following is a breakdown of the changes at level 1:
- Interior service limited to 25% less or 25 people per room
- The establishment must serve food for the internal service
- Reservations required and limited to 2 hours
- There are no tables for more than 4 people inside
- Bars and restaurants close at 23:00 and can reopen before 6:00 the next day
- Social gatherings can be limited to 25 guests or 25% capacity both indoors and outdoors
“And, of course, the regions that have improved enough to move into the phase
4, can resume some larger indoor operations in bars and restaurants such as
as long as the tables stay six feet away, just like last summer, ”Pritzker said.
As of Friday, two other regions of Illinois were allowed to return to Level 2 mitigations, with several other regions close to doing the same.
The move to level 2 will mean the return of group fitness classes and the reopening of cultural institutions such as museums, with a capacity limit of 25%, among other things.
Regions emerging from Level 3 mitigations may also resume youth and recreational sports.
“Higher levels of play will be allowed as metrics improve at the next level,” according to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s office.
All 11 regions of Illinois have been subject to level 3 mitigation since Nov. 20, and have suspended indoor food statewide and closed museums and casinos.
According to state guidelines, a region can switch to level 2 mitigations if it sees a test positivity rate of less than 12% for three consecutive days and there are more than 20% ICU and hospital beds. available, in addition to decreasing COVID-19 hospitalizations to seven of the previous ten days.
To move to level 1, regions need:
- A test positivity rate of less than 8% for three consecutive days, measured by the 7-day rotating average; I
- More than 20 percent or available in medical / surgical hospital beds available with ICU for three consecutive days, on a variable average of 3 days; I
- No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, averaging 7 days.
However, to return to phase 4, the regions need:
- A test positivity rate less than or equal to 6.5% for three consecutive days, measured by the 7-day rotating average; I
- More than 20 percent or available in medical / surgical hospital beds available with ICU for three consecutive days, on a variable average of 3 days; I
- No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, averaging 7 days.