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Chicago eases COVID-19 restrictions

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Illinois

* Press release…

Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) today announced that Chicago has made sufficient progress in the fight against COVID-19 to ease certain restrictions on businesses. Effective Thursday, October 1st, new guidelines for businesses will come into effect that will expand indoor capacity to 40% for certain businesses, reopen bars for indoor service, allow restaurants and bars to serve alcohol until 1:00 am, increase maximum group sizes for fitness classes and after-school programming and allow personal services that require the removal of masks. These changes build on Chicago’s status as one of the most open large cities in America and are possible due to continued improvement on crucial COVID health metrics, including a declining number of new daily cases, a test positivity rate now below 5% and the lowest rates of hospitalization and death in months.

“Over the past six months, we have asked so much of our business community. But each time, our businesses have stepped up to the plate,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “Thanks to this cooperation, we have met this challenging moment with grace, commitment and resilience, and the sacrifices made by our businesses, workers and residents have saved countless lives. This next step in our reopening is good news for business owners as well as the communities they serve and the thousands of residents that work for them.”

Chicago is now seeing around 300 new COVID cases per day whereas in late August the city was over 350 cases per day and rising. Test positivity (the percentage of COVID tests with a positive result) has fallen to 4.5% and severe outcomes have also improved, with hospitalizations from COVID lower than they’ve been since March and deaths at an average of 2-3 per day, when they were around 50 per day at the peak of the pandemic.

The outbreak continues to have a disproportionate impact on Black and, particularly of late, Latinx communities, but we are seeing improvement there, as well, and declines in the Latinx community outpace the overall averages. As we gradually ease our reopening guidelines, we will continue to watch trends closely, particularly among essential workers and People of Color.

“Overall, we are heading in the right direction, and this affords us an opportunity to further re-open the city and to do so gradually and safely,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. “But I can’t emphasize this enough: Chicagoans need to continue to follow the public health guidance – wearing masks, social distancing, frequent hand washing and staying home when sick – or we risk falling back and experiencing another rise in cases.”

Effective Thursday, October 1st, at 5:00am, the following guidelines will come into effect:

• Increased Indoor Capacity: Restaurants, health and fitness centers, personal services, non-essential retail and all other establishments that have been limited to 25% indoor capacity will now be able to increase their maximum indoor capacity to 40%. The limit of 50 total customers within one room or space at restaurants, venues and other establishments will remain in place, as will the limit of no more than six people per table.
• Reopening of Bars: Breweries, taverns, bars and other establishments that serve alcohol without a food license may reopen with indoor seating, at 25% capacity or 50 people, whichever is fewer. Service remains limited to no more than two hours per party, and customers must be seated when eating, drinking or ordering – patrons cannot walk up to the bar to order.
• Extended Hours for Bars and Restaurants:Bars, restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol will now be able to sell alcohol for on-site or off-site consumption until 1:00 am and may remain open until 1:30 am. Liquor stores, grocery stores and other establishments that sell alcohol to-go through a Packaged Goods license must continue to cease alcohol sales at 9:00 p.m.
• Increased Group Size:Maximum group size for health and fitness classes and after-school programming will increase from 10 to 15 people.
• Expanded Personal Services: Facials, shaves and other personal services that require the removal of face coverings will be allowed.

Updated reopening guidelines can be found at chicago.gov/reopening.

“The last six months have brought unprecedented challenges for everyone, especially the small businesses that form the pillars of so many of our neighborhoods,” said BACP Commissioner Rosa Escareno. “I want to thank the many businesses that have shown their dedication to their employees and patrons throughout this crisis by strictly following our guidelines. While this crisis has brought extraordinary pain, our recovery has outpaced peer cities and I am confident that this next step will bring much-needed economic support for thousands of businesses and workers while still prioritizing the health of our community.”

To help keep communities safe while supporting the neighborhood economy, the City today also today announced a partnership with homegrown technology company Tock to provide free technology solutions for restaurants and bars in low-income communities. Through this partnership, Tock will offer a free set-up and six-month subscription to Tock Plus Litefor restaurants and bars without a reservation system in areas of the city below 60% of the Area Median Income. This one-of-a-kind program will provide these establishments with the ability to manage reservations, takeout, delivery and events all through one unified system. This program, which is also available at a low cost citywide, can be used by businesses to retain cell phone numbers and email addresses to support contact tracing for reservations and when seating walk-ins.

“As a locally-grown Chicago business, we are thrilled to partner with the City to help expand safe dining and help restaurants build a bridge to the future,” said Brian Fitzpatrick, Tock’s co-founder and CTO. “For many restaurants and bars, especially those in historically disinvested areas, technology can make all the difference. Access to reservation systems during this critical time will help businesses keep pace while ensuring that they comply with regulations to keep their employees and patrons safe.”

While enough progress has been made to ease certain restrictions, Chicago remains in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls on all businesses and customers to continue following the phase four guidelines. In order to continue the significant progress, the following additional guidelines will also come into effect on Thursday, October 1st:

• When dining out at a food service establishment or bar, customers must always wear face coverings while seated, except when actively eating or drinking. This protects employees that may interact closely with patrons.
• Patrons at indoor bars, taverns and breweries must order from their seats – they cannot walk up to the bar to order.
• Bars, taverns and breweries that are reopening indoors must partner with a food establishment so that food is available to patrons at all times (e.g., making menus available and allowing delivery, allowing patrons to order from third-party delivery services).
• When taking reservations and seating walk-in customers, restaurants and bars should retain an email and/or phone number for possible contact tracing.
• Personal services that require the removal of face coverings are recommended to be kept under 15 minutes, and the employee conducting the service must always wear a face covering.
• All places of business should provide hand sanitizer for patrons and employees to use upon entry.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:23 pm

Comments

Good? I think? I have this fear this expansion will cause a spike that will force the city to pull back yet again in a couple months. I hope I am wrong.

Comment by Montrose Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:28 pm
I hope this works.

Comment by PublicServant Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:31 pm
Can someone in the mayor’s office please explain the 9pm packaged alcohol sales ban while having bars, one of the most notorious sites of spread, open until 11?

Comment by Served Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:38 pm
Those businesses need this to work ahead of cooler weather and an unknown winter. Hopeful it works.

Comment by Cool Papa Bell Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:38 pm
Well it is going to be too cold to eat outdoors, and if you don’t want to lose these establishments forever you have to make choices. Hospitalizations, ICU beds and ventilators have been flat for quite some time. Old timers like me and those with other risk factors should exercise caution. Hopefully adults will behave so this doesn’t cause a spike.

Comment by SSL Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:40 pm
Interesting timing given the weather forecast this week as high temperatures projected in the 50’s and 60’s. Most people don’t want to sit curbside in this weather. This dovetails with rising cases in most European countries and NY who had their highest case count since June this weekend with the continued warnings of a “surge” come the fall for the whole country (I assume fall means October/November).

Awardy is supportive of re-opening schools in Chicago if daily case counts are

Comment by 1st Ward Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:46 pm
cut off for some reason. Awardy is supportive of re-opening schools in Chicago if daily case counts are

Comment by 1st Ward Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:47 pm
===Hospitalizations, ICU beds and ventilators have been flat for quite some time===

Nope.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 1:53 pm
Always interesting that the hysteria over what is likely a really, really bad decision is much less when the City makes it than when the downstaters and Hillbilly Caucus do the same.

On so very many fronts, “Hypocrisy” is likely the word of the year in 2020.

Comment by This Just In Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:03 pm
We know the virus spreads more easily among groups of people indoors. I think this is premature.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:04 pm
Amy called out twice (so far)…

Comment by Northsider Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:06 pm
“Hopefully adults will behave so this doesn’t cause a spike.”

That hasn’t happened in earnest since like April.

Comment by Dee Lay Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:07 pm
=== is much less when the City makes it than when the downstaters===

Another victim heard from.

The City restrictions were much tighter than the state guidance. The new restrictions are within the guidance.

Pull your thumb outta your mouth, already.

Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:07 pm
I don’t live in the city but I do travel to it regularly. In doing so I’ve observed much greater adherence to mask usage not only indoors but outside as well. I’m sure that there are those that still flaunt or ignore the rules, but my general conclusion is that folks take the threat far more seriously than in other parts of the state I travel to.

Comment by Pundent Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:11 pm
I think I’ve read OW say do we want bars or schools open. This is premature and the focus should be getting students back in school while continuing to reduce numbers of covid cases to reduce the predicted fall uptick…

Comment by My 2 cents Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:18 pm
=== I think I’ve read say do we want bars or schools open.===

Really? Huh. Where?

Can you cite it?

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:30 pm
“Upticks” represent real dead people…who are dead…really.

Comment by Dotnonymous Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:33 pm
I hope they I’m wrong, but I fear that we will look back on this as a terrible, terrible mistake.

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:35 pm
Well I thought it was a pretty good press release…

But even with the Chicago changes today, the restrictions on taverns and restaurants within the City of Chicago will still be more stringent than in most(maybe all) Chicagoland suburbs.

But at least now I can cancel this weekend’s planned “Look at all the freaking Saturday night house parties” walking tour.

Comment by ChicagoBars Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 2:46 pm
Maybe it’s not to late for Lawrys.

Comment by Blue Dog Dem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:13 pm
So…the city imposed the restrictions when, on average, they were reporting less than 200 new cases per day. They are removing them now when the city is reporting, on average, about 300 cases a day.

This won’t end well. I’m disappointed. But that’s just becoming a common refrain with this here mayor

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:46 pm
I’m still going to be *extremely* careful about going out to eat.

I noticed today that one of the places where I’ve eaten out has enclosed the space with tents. If they’ve got heaters, too, that’ll be my choice.

Comment by JoanP Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 3:49 pm
So now I can get my beard trimmed, but still can’t visit the beach?

Can anyone explain the logic of it?

– MrJM

Comment by @misterjayem Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:29 pm
This makes no sense and it’s going to cost lives.

Comment by northsider (the original) Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 4:45 pm
This happens the same Day that Region 1 over an hour west (Rockford/DeKalb westward) hit 8% positivity.

Comment by Chatham Resident Monday, Sep 28, 20 @ 6:43 pm