Governor Closing Bars & Restaurants to Indoor Service in Metro East, Suburban Cook
The interior of Stefani Prime Italian in suburban Lincolnwood. Governor JB Pritzker announced it and and other suburban Cook County bars and restaurants will close to indoor service starting Wednesday to slow the outbreak of COVID-19.
As COVID-19 infection rates continue to rise, Governor JB Pritzker announced Monday morning bars and restaurants will close for indoor service beginning Wednesday morning in the Metro East region around St. Louis as well as suburban Cook County. Metro East is being pegged for high positivity while suburban Cook County is being put into mitigation for increasing hospitalization rates.
This is the second time the Metro East faces indoor dining and bar closures.
“We are seeing test positivity across the state increase, but for Region 10, Suburban Cook County, we are also seeing a steady increase in hospitalizations for COVID-like illness,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we were concerned about overwhelming our hospitals and we must take action now to prevent that possibility. We are entering flu season and our hospitals are facing both COVID-19 and flu admissions. The same things that can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 will help prevent the spread of flu.”
Bars and restaurants will not be allowed indoor service, must close at 11:00 P.M., and outdoor tables must be placed 6 feet apart. The ban comes at a difficult time for many restaurant and bar owners, who have seen decreased revenue and face falling late autumn temperatures limiting outdoor seating.
Gatherings are limited to 25 guests and casinos are to close at 11:00 P.M. and limit capacity to 25%.
These mitigations do not apply to schools.
The areas join northwest Illinois, including Rockford, Galena, and DeKalb, suburban DuPage, Kane, Will, and Kankakee counties, and much of southern Illinois facing the increased mitigations. As of Wednesday, 6 of the 11 regions of the state will be under increased mitigation.