Beginning Friday, November 20, new statewide COVID restrictions took effect across Illinois. Under these mitigations announced by Governor J.B. Pritzker, museums and casinos in Illinois will be closed, and retail spaces will face new capacity limits. New restrictions will also impact group fitness classes and indoor sports.
Below are the new mitigations that took effect Friday, November 20, 2020, at 12:01 am:
Retail (Including Service Counters)
Operate at no more than 25% capacity, including general merchandise stores, “big box” stores that offer groceries and pharmacy, and convenience stores
Grocery stores and pharmacies may operate at up to 50% capacity
Encourage delivery or curbside pickup options wherever possible
When in-store shopping is necessary, promote efficient trips and consistent circulation
Personal Care Service
Operate at lesser of 25 clients or 25% capacity
Face coverings must be worn at all times by clients and service providers
Suspend services where a face covering cannot be worn (e.g. facials, beard trims)
Physical, occupational and massage therapy allowed as deemed necessary by a medical provider, but appointments must be spaced by a minimum of 15 minutes and facilities should take steps to sanitize and circulate clean air through service rooms before and after each service
Virtual consultations recommended
Health and Fitness Centers
Operate at no more than 25% capacity
No indoor group classes
Face coverings must be worn at all times, including while engaged in individual exercise regardless of person or machine spacing
Reservations required
Locker room areas should be closed
Hotels
Hotel room occupancy should be limited to registered guests only, with the maximum allowance being the number of individuals permissible per existing fire code for each applicable guest room
Fitness centers should be closed, or operated only on a reservation model, with capacity limited to 25% of the maximum occupancy for the room.
Grab and go food allowed
Event and meeting space closed
Manufacturing
Additional COVID training for all employees required even if previous training occurred
Operators should coordinate with IDPH to implement testing protocols and contact tracing, upon request, consistent with available testing supplies
All employees must wear face coverings at all times unless eating or drinking. Exemptions only for safety purposes.
Only manufacturing staff and key personnel allowed in facilities. Non-production employees must work remotely. Non-essential staff and visitors are not permitted. Exemptions only for critical equipment repairs, supply deliveries and safety reasons (“critical visitors”).
All critical visitors must have an Employee Health and Safety (EHS)-approved risk-assessment done in advance, including travel history, tracking, and temperature check prior to entrance.
Implement additional workstation realignment when feasible
Stagger and space shifts, and designate shift entrances and exits (when possible) to minimize interactions of employees across unique shift groupings
Station sanitation required at beginning and ending of shifts
Operators must suspend covid-related incentive pay and promote staying home when sick or showing symptoms
Implement temporary leave policies to accommodate workers who are sick
Develop and implement safety protocols for employee travel vans to promote spacing, require face coverings, temperature checks, air circulation, and vehicle sanitization
Bars and Restaurants
All bars and restaurants close at 11pm and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
No indoor service
All bar and restaurant patrons should be seated at tables outside
No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
Tables should be 6 feet apart
No standing or congregating outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
No dancing or standing indoors
No tables exceeding 6 people
Reservations required for each party
No seating of multiple parties at one table
Indoor gaming terminals must suspend operations
Includes private clubs and country clubs
Meetings, social events and gatherings (including weddings, potlucks, etc.)
Limit in home gatherings to household members
Meeting rooms, banquet centers, private party rooms, private clubs and country clubs may not host gatherings
No party buses
Funerals are limited to 10 family members of the decedents, not including staff, see IDPH guidance
Office
All employees who can work remotely should work remotely
Organized group recreational activities (sports, indoor sports and activity facilities, etc.)
Pause all indoor group sporting and recreational activities including youth and adult recreational sports, individual training may remain (with facility reservation)
Includes park districts and travel leagues
Outdoor sports and recreation allowed
Participant groups and practices outdoors limited to 10 persons or less with social distancing
Face coverings required for all activities at all times
Locker rooms should be closed
Indoor recreation, theaters, cultural Institutions (e.g. casinos, bowling, arcades, movie theaters, museums and zoos)
Gaming and casinos close
Indoor recreation centers, including theaters, performing arts centers and indoor museums and amusement centers close
Live streaming of performances encouraged with social distancing of performers and minimum operational staff
Outdoor activities allowed at 25% capacity or less
Outdoor group activities limited to 10 persons or less, participants/guests must wear face coverings at all times
Reservations required for each guest for outdoor activities
IDPH will continue to track the positivity rates and hospital capacity metrics in regions over a 14-day monitoring periods to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigation should remain in place. In order for a region to move back to Tier 2 mitigations, a region must experience less than 7-day 12 percent test positivity average for three consecutive days AND greater than 20 percent available intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital bed availability for three consecutive days AND declining 7-day COVID hospitalizations average in 7 out of the last 10 days.
For more information visit: https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan.