The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Saturday that Region 5 meets the requirements to introduce Tier 1 coronavirus mitigation, meaning indoor dining can resume.
Region 5, which is in southern Illinois, can immediately introduce Tier 1 mitigation measures, including bringing back indoor dining and bar service. The region includes the following counties: Marion, Jefferson, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Williamson, Saline, Hamilton, White, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Massac, and Pulaski.
At level 1, the region can dine indoors for 25 people or with a 25% capacity per room, whichever is lower, with only four people per table.
Here’s an overview of what’s changing in Tier 1:
- Inside service limited to less than 25% or 25 people per room
- The branch must serve food for indoor sales
- Reservation required and limited to 2 hours
- No tables for more than 4 people indoors
- Bars and restaurants close at 11 PM and may reopen at 6 AM the next day
- Social gatherings can be limited to 25 guests or 25% capacity, both indoors and outdoors
And, of course, all regions that have improved enough to move to Phase
4, can resume some larger indoor activities in bars and restaurants
as long as the tables are only six feet apart, just like last summer, ”Pritzker said.
As of Friday, two other Illinois regions were allowed to go back to Tier 2 mitigations, while several other regions did almost the same.
The move to Tier 2 means, among other things, the return of group fitness classes and the reopening of cultural institutions such as museums with a capacity limit of 25%.
Regions leaving level 3 mitigation measures can also resume youth and recreational sports.
“Higher levels of play will be allowed as stats improve to the next tier,” said the Illinois Gov. office. JB Pritzker.
All 11 regions of Illinois have been subject to Tier 3 mitigation measures as of Nov. 20, suspending indoor dining in the state and closing museums and casinos.
Under state guidelines, a region can transition to Tier 2 mitigation measures if it sees a test positivity rate of less than 12% for three consecutive days and more than 20% of ICU and hospital beds are available, as well as decreasing COVID-19 hospitalizations in seven of the previous 10 days.
To get to level 1, regions need the following:
- A positivity rate of less than 8 percent for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day moving average; AND
- Greater than or equal to 20 percent of available staffed ICU beds and medical / surgical hospital beds for three consecutive days, based on a 3-day moving average; AND
- No sustained increase in the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 for seven days out of ten, averaged over seven days.
However, to get back to phase 4, regions need:
- A test positivity rate of less than or equal to 6.5 percent for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day moving average; AND
- Greater than or equal to 20 percent of available staffed ICU beds and medical / surgical hospital beds for three consecutive days, based on a 3-day moving average; AND
- No sustained increase in the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 for seven days out of ten, averaged over seven days.