Indoor dining, bar service to shut down in North Central Illinois starting Wednesday
CHICAGO - The state of Illinois is putting the North Central part of the state under additional COVID-19 resurgence mitigations on Wednesday. The announcement came as the state announced another 6,890 cases of the virus.
Governor JB Pritzker announced the mitigations on Sunday afternoon after the seven day rolling positivity rate in "Region 2" was above 8 percent for three consecutive days. Region 2 includes Rock Island, Henry, Bureau, Putnam, Kendall, Grundy, Mercer, Knox, Henderson, Warren, McDonough, Fulton, Stark, Marshall, Peoria, Tazwell, McLean, Woodford, Livingston, and Lasalle counties.
“I know that the vast majority of people in this state want to keep themselves safe, their families and children safe, their parents and neighbors and friends," said Gov. Pritzker in a statement. "I have always maintained enormous faith in the people of Illinois to do what’s right for each other. As cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising across our state, across the Midwest and across the nation, we have to act responsibly and collectively to protect the people we love.”
The new mitigation measures to start at 12:01am Wednesday morning impact restaurants, bars and public places. They do not impact polling places or schools.
BARS
- No indoor service
- All outside bar service closes at 11:00 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 11:00 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 GATHERINGS, EVENTS
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity
- No party buses
- Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable