Bridge Phase Begins Today
Masked Cubs fans watch a game last month. In the state’s new “Bridge Phase” to a full reopening, Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field will allow capacity to increase to 60%.
The final step to a full reopening in the state, the so-called “Bridge Phase,” takes effect today.
In the new phase, office occupancy, capacity at salons, retail stores, fitness centers, amusement parks, museums, zoos, and spectator events all increase to 60%.
Meetings and conventions increase to 1,000 or 60% capacity, and social events are capped at 250 people indoors and 500 people outdoors.
The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday the city of Chicago and state wouldn’t count fully vaccinated people to capacity limits.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city on Friday would join the state in allowing restaurants, bars and other businesses not to count fully vaccinated customers against capacity limits. In addition, the Sox and Cubs will open sections of their ballparks to the fully inoculated that will raise the number of people able to attend games.
Finally, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines saying its OK for those who are two weeks past their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to ditch masks in most situations — indoors and out.
When announcing the plan earlier this month, Governor JB Pritzker warned metrics must continue moving in a positive direction to continue reopening.
“This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen throughout this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable,” Pritzker said. “Metrics that look strong today are far from a guarantee of how things will look a week, two weeks, a month from now. We saw that last August and again last March.”
If metrics like hospitalizations and deaths stay flat or decrease, the state will open completely June 11.
