Enhanced Mitigations
Governor JB Pritzker announced today that Regions 7 and 8 will both be receiving enhanced COVID-19 mitigations. Both regions have had positivity rates of 8% or higher for three consecutive days. The mitigations will go into effect starting Friday, October 23.
Region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee counties has been at 8.2, 8.3, and 8.6 for the last three days recorded, and Region 8, which includes DuPage and Kane counties, has been at 8.4, 8.5, and 9.
This is the second time that Region 7 will undergo these restrictions. The region first had mitigations implemented on August 26. Region 8 has seen its positivity rate rise for 13 consecutive days. Positivity rates in Region 7 have now gone up for 10 consecutive days.
Due to the rise in cases throughout the region, the DuPage County Health Department has recommended full remote learning for the time being.
Governor Pritzker noted that small, local businesses will receive priority considerations in the current round of Business Interruption Grants.
The Governor also stated that another stay-at-home order is not something the state is considering right now.
Hospitalizations on the Rise
It’s not just positivity rates and total cases that are increasing. Region 7 has seen the number of hospitalizations increase for six consecutive days while Region 8’s hospitalizations have increased five days in a row.
Edward Hospital announced yesterday that it is treating 32 COVID-19 patients, the most since May 28. Edward Hospital has announced 51 COVID-19 related deaths this year.
The number of COVID-19 patients in the hospital across the state is now at its highest since mid-June with over 2,261. 489 patients are in the ICU and 195 are on ventilators.
List of Mitigations
Starting October 23, group gatherings in Will, Kankakee, DuPage, and Kane counties will be limited to 25 people or less. Bars and restaurants will be restricted to outdoor service and must close by 11:00 p.m. Tables must be placed six feet apart, and reservations are required for each party.
The complete list of restrictions is as follows:
Bars
- No indoor service
- All outside bar service closes at 11:00pm
- 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 11:00pm
- 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.
The mitigations do not currently apply to schools.
Monitoring by IDPH
The IDPH will track the positivity rate in Region 7 and Region 8 over a 14-day monitoring period to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigation should remain in place.
Should the positivity rate average less than or equal to 6.5% over a 14-day period, the region will return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan. If the positivity rate averages between 6.5% and 8%, the current mitigations will remain in place, and IDPH will continue to monitor the region to determine if additional restrictions are needed.
If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8% after 14 days, more stringent mitigations will be applied to further reduce spread of the virus.