New Chicago restrictions begin on Friday, October 30.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, that the City of Chicago will follow in the footsteps of neighboring regions Metro East area and Suburban Cook County and will become subject to further COVID-19 resurgence mitigation measures. These new restrictions have been implemented after the weekly positivity rate in Chicago topped 8% and will come into effect in Region 11, the City of Chicago, as of 12:01 a.m. Friday, October 30, 2020.
Region 11 has seen COVID-related hospital admissions and its positivity rate increase more than 7 of the last ten days. Chicago is now averaging more than twice as many COVID-related hospital admissions per day as it was a month ago. Tier 1 mitigations begin Friday. pic.twitter.com/6wle4KPXbq
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) October 27, 2020
By Friday, October 30 2020 regions 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 will all be operating under Tier 1 mitigation measures. The new restrictions place a ban on indoor dining and drinking altogether, limit group gatherings to 25 people, and make reservations on outdoor dining mandatory.
These further restrictions have been introduced in response to a rising COVID positivity rate which is averaging nearly 800 new cases a day in Chicago. The Restore Illinois Resurgence Mitigation Plans state that if a region’s positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent for three consecutive days and sees a sustained increase in hospital admissions their “metrics” trigger the activation of “Tier 1” restrictions.
Bars and restaurants have not had to close under such strict measures since COVID peaked back in March. Many businesses have fought through the last several months and persevered through summer into autumn but these latest measures could spell the end for many of Chicago’s bars and restaurants as cold months approach. Some will have to survive on takeout, delivery, and any outdoor service that is possible to them but the winter months pose an obstacle for outdoor dining.
Here are some reactions to the news:
It is currently just above freezing in Chicago and as of Friday restaurants will not be able to serve indoor diners. It is going to be a long winter for a lot of small business owners….https://t.co/G3KfM516CH
— Michelle Evans 🛍🛒 (@mevans14) October 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/AllyMarotti/status/1321109388875190273
Chicago is adding Florida to its travel quarantine order this week and warned that Michigan could be added next week as coronavirus cases continue to rise. https://t.co/xeS5P8IIUN
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) October 27, 2020
Today’s dreadful COVID numbers in the Great Lakes.
ON 827
IN 2,062
MI 2,367 (positivity rate 6.88%)
OH 2,509
IL 4,000 (1st time at 4,000)
WI 5,262 (up 1,000 from Monday)— Micheline Maynard (@MickiMaynard) October 27, 2020
https://twitter.com/DerrickClifton/status/1321184252516569095