Governor Pritzker Releases Guidelines to Safely Reopen

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Guidelines to Safely Reopen

Governor JB Pritzker has released guidelines for businesses and workplaces to safely reopen as they prepare to enter Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan in the coming days.

All four regions of the state are on track to advance to Phase 3, allowing thousands of residents to return to work and businesses to reopen in the following industries:

  • Outdoor dining for Restaurants and Bars
  • Retail
  • Offices
  • Manufacturing
  • Barbershops and Salons
  • Summer Programs
  • Outdoor Recreation Activities

“In every aspect of our pandemic response, and especially as we begin to safely reopen meaningful swaths of our economy, our number one priority must be the health and safety of our workers, our customers, and Illinoisans at large,” said Pritzker in a press release. “The industry-specific baseline guidance for businesses the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity released today will help employers re-open their doors in Phase 3 in line with that priority. In order to cover as many unique aspects of industry as possible, my administration collected input from hundreds of industry participants across the state and these guidelines reflect the questions and ideas brought to us by businesses of every size, background, and region in the state – and prioritize public health as our guiding light. You can’t build a strong economy if people aren’t comfortable being a part of it.”

Guidelines and Toolkits

Phase 3 is expected to bring around 700,000 residents back to the workplace, a key step towards getting the Illinois economy back on track—with an estimated 20 percent, or $150 billion in annual GDP, of the overall economy returned to operations.

Specific guidelines and toolkits for businesses can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website.

The toolkit includes signage, training checklists and other resources to help business owners and workers implement safety procedures and precautions from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).

In addition to industry-specific guidelines, DCEO the IDPH developed a common set of standards all businesses must follow. Those standards include the required use of face coverings, social distancing, and informational signage on site, among other preventative measures.

In addition to the return to work and reopening of specific businesses, Phase 3 also allows the following:

  • small group gatherings of 10 or fewer
  • participation in select sports and outdoor activities, including tennis, boating and camping and other activities where safe social distancing can be practiced.

Residents are still asked to follow public health guidelines around social distancing, sanitization and face coverings.

Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.