COVID-19 testing

(WAND)- Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced COVID-19 resurgence mitigations for Regions 4 and 10 starting Wednesday, Oct. 28. 

 

Both regions have seen consecutive days of increasing positive COVID-19 cases. 

 

Region 10 is now the first region in the state to surpass warning levels in two categories simultaneously. 

 

"Over the weekend, two more regions – Region 4, Metro East, as well as Region 10, Suburban Cook County – triggered our metrics for additional mitigations, meaning that, starting Wednesday, 6 of our 11 regions will be operating under our resurgence framework," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Much like the four areas already operating under Tier One or Tier Two of the plan – Northwestern Illinois, Southern Illinois, and Will, Kankakee, DuPage and Kane Counties – Region 4 triggered our 8 percent positivity average threshold, the second time it has done so since mid-summer. Region 10, on the other hand, is the first region in Illinois to earn additional mitigations, not because of its positivity rate alone, but because its positivity rate and its COVID-related hospitalizations have both seen a sustained increase over the last ten days."

 

Mitigation measures taking effect on Oct. 28 in Regions 4 and 10 include: 

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 the 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 Events, Gatherings 

  • 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 

 

These mitigations do not currently apply to schools.

 

In the coming days, IDPH will continue to track both regions' positivity rate to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigations should remain in place. 

 

Region 4 will need to average less than or equal to 6.5% for three consecutive days to return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan.

 

To return to Phase 4, Region 10 will have to averages less than or equal to 6.5% over three days, decrease hospital admissions for COVID-19 like illness over three days, and the three-day rolling averages of ICU bed availability and medical/surgical bed availability is more than 20% for seven days. 

 

A full list of mitigation measures may be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website at www.dceocovid19resources.com/restore-illinois.Â