State officials announced Monday that a series of stricter regulations will be put in place this week in Will and Kankakee counties at restaurants, bars and casinos to slow the spread of COVID-19, after that region reached a threshold for positivity rate that triggers the move.
Come Wednesday, there will be no indoor service for bars or restaurants, outside bar and food service must close at 11 p.m., and gatherings are capped at 25 people or 25% of the overall room capacity.
Casinos also must close at 11 p.m., and are limited to 25% capacity. The stricter rules come after the region that includes Will and Kankakee counties in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s reopening plan posted an 8% test positivity rate for three consecutive days, becoming the second of the state’s 11 regions, as defined by the plan, to be sent backward from the phase four rules that are widely in place throughout the state.
Other rules for bars include requirements for outdoor bar patrons to be seated at tables outside that are at least 6 feet apart and no congregating at bars, and a reservation requirement for each party.
Once the new rules take effect Wednesday, they will be in place for 14 days. They do not apply to schools, however. After the 14-day period, if the region’s coronavirus metrics don’t improve, the state may crack down further.
If the positivity rate declines to 6.5% by the end of that two-week period, the region can return to the phase four rules under Pritzker’s reopening plan, which took effect statewide in late June. If the positivity rate sits between 6.5% and 8% at the end of two weeks, the new rules will remain in effect.
In a statement, state Rep. Margo McDermed, a Mokena Republican, said lawmakers were told the positivity rate increase in the region was driven largely by the 20-to-29 age group, including a lack of social distancing at bars, large gatherings and “travel to COVID hot spots.”
“Whether you disagree or agree with Governor’s rules, he is the one with the power right now while the courts consider the constitutionality of his executive orders. Like it or not, failure to follow his rules have consequences that extend beyond any one individual,” McDermed said. “… This retreat from reopening our local economy demonstrates that the fate of area businesses is directly related to our personal behaviors, regardless of age. I would encourage everyone to consider how their choices impact our entire community, especially business owners, who are just now beginning to recover and are struggling to stay afloat during this health crisis.”
The regions defined in Pritzker’s reopening plan that include Chicago, Cook County and the other collar counties remained lower than 7% as of Friday, according to state Department of Public Health data.
As of Friday, the test positivity rate for Chicago was 5.2%, and was higher in suburban Cook County: 6.7%, according to state Department of Public Health data.
The region that includes DuPage and Kane counties stood at 5.8% as of Friday, and the test positivity rate was 5.5% in the region that includes Lake and McHenry counties.
The Metro East region became the first last week to have stricter regulations imposed by the state, and Pritzker’s office warned on Monday that it could see a further scaling back of its reopening as early as next week if the region continues to see heightened COVID-19 test positivity rates. The Metro East test positivity rate was 9.4% as of Friday, according to state data.
