SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Springfield officials announced a mask mandate will soon be introduced. In addition, the city and Sangamon County will implement dining restrictions. 

Mayor Jim Langfelder said the city plans to introduce an emergency ordinance on Tuesday, Nov. 17, which will require people to wear masks in Springfield public buildings. 

Effective midnight Thursday night, Sangamon County is shutting down indoor bar and restaurant service. Leaders in Springfield and the county had tried a modified mitigation approach, but decided to change as new cases and hospitalizations kept climbing. 

Those mitigations include shutting down indoor service at bars and restaurants, placing a limit on the number of people who can be at each table for outdoor restaurant service and having each party place reservations. 

In explaining the decision to go to further mitigations, Langfelder pointed out worries about people potentially letting their guard down around friends and family and causing the virus to spread. He said numbers need to be brought down to prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. 

More details about those mitigations can be found in a PDF document attached to this story. 

People can also view the Springfield City Council meeting in which these items were discussed by clicking here. Relevant discussion starts after 15 minutes in.Â