Regions 8 (DuPage, Kane) and 9 (Lake, McHenery) Move to Tier 1 COVID Mitigations; Indoor Dining Now Permitted

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 8 (DuPage and Kane) and Region 9 (Lake and McHenry) are moving to Tier 1 effective today (1/26/21).  Information about which tier and phase regions are in can be found at the top of the IDPH website homepage.

Restaurants and Bars

• Indoor service limited to the lesser of 25 guests or 25% capacity per room
• Establishments offering indoor service must serve food
• All bar and restaurant patrons should be seated at tables
• No ordering, seating, or congregating at 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

Organized Group Recreational Activities

(fitness centers, sports, etc.)

• Sports should follow the mitigation measures set forth in the All Sports Policy, which outlines appropriate levels of practice and competition based on individual sport risk
• Face coverings must be worn at all times in fitness centers, including while engaged in individual exercise regardless of person or machine spacing
• Recreation, fitness centers and outdoor activities (not included in the above exposure settings) follow Phase 4 guidance

Meetings and Social Events

(including weddings, funerals, potlucks, etc.)

• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors
  • Applicable to professional, cultural and social group gatherings.
  • Not applicable to students participating in-person classroom learning, or sports.
  • This does not reduce the overall facility capacity dictated by general Phase 4 business guidance such as office, personal care, retail, etc.

IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19.  Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increased measures.

Metrics for moving from a higher to lower tier are as follows:

Moving from Tier 3 to Tier 2

• Test positivity rate ≥ 8% and below 12% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
• Staffed ICU bed availability ≥ 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
• Sustained decline in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)

Moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1

• Test positivity rate between 6.5% and 8% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
• Staffed ICU bed availability ≥ 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
• No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)

Moving from Tier 1 to Phase 4

• Test positivity rate ≤ 6.5% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
• Staffed ICU bed availability ≥ 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
• No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)

Information about mitigation and resurgence metrics can be found on the IDPH website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics.