Region 6 including Douglas County moves to Phase 4; IDPH urges people to continue wearing masks, avoiding large gatherings, get vaccinated when eligible
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 6 (Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Richland, Shelby, Vermillion) is returning to Phase 4 of the Restore Plan and Region 7 (Kankakee and Will) is advancing to Tier 1. Information about which tier and phase regions are in can be found at the top of the IDPH website homepage.
“I am excited that 10 out of our 11 regions have moved out of Tier 3 mitigations,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “However, this does not mean we can let our guard down. We must continue to practice actions to protect ourselves from the virus – wear our masks, avoid large gatherings, and get the vaccine when it is our turn. This is particularly critical as new variants circulate, which early studies show spread much more rapidly. We are headed in the right direction once again, so let’s stay the course.”
IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increased measures.
Metrics for moving from a higher to lower tier are as follows:
Moving from Tier 3 to Tier 2
* Test positivity rate below or equal to 8 percent and below 12 percent for three consecutive days (7-day average) AND
* Staffed ICU bed availability less than or equal to 20 percent for three consecutive days (7-day average) AND
* Sustained decline in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days) – more –
Moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1
* Test positivity rate between 6.5 and 8 percent for three consecutive days (7-day average) AND
* Staffed ICU bed availability less than or equal to 20 percent for three consecutive days (7-day average) AND
* No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)
Moving from Tier 1 to Phase 4
* Test positivity rate less than or equal to 6.5 percent for three consecutive days (7-day average) AND
* Staffed ICU bed availability less than or equal to 20 percent for three consecutive days (7-day average) AND
* No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)
Information about mitigation and resurgence metrics can be found on the IDPH website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics.
Guidelines for each industry as part of Phase IV of the Restore Illinois Plan are as follows:
All Industries
* All employees who can work from home should continue to do so.
* Continue to wear face covering that covers nose and mouth, maintain social distance of 6 ft., and frequently wash hands.
* Continue employee health screenings upon entry into the workplace and mid-shift screenings for employees with shits greater than five hours (virtual screening permitted).
* Follow guidelines on capacity limits and group sizes (to be continually reassessed through Phase 4).
Restaurants and Bars
* Indoor dining and drinking now permitted for parties up to ten people.
* Seated areas should be arranged so that tables allow for 6 ft between parties; impermeable barriers may be installed between booths which are less than 6 ft apart.
* Standing areas (in restaurants or bars) should be limited to no more than 25 percent of standing area capacity.
* Buffets and self-service food stations (e.g. hot and cold bars, bulk items, baked goods) should adhere to additional minimum guidelines.)
* Self-service beverage fountains are permissible with the additional precautions.
Youth and Recreational Sports
* Competitive gameplay and tournaments permitted for moderate and lower risk sports, intra-team scrimmages for higher risk sports.
* Limit of 50 spectators for events.
* Sporting venues may host multiple groups of participants engaged in active exercise or gameplay provided the venue has space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups.
* Concessions permitted with restrictions.
Meetings and Social Events
* Limit to lesser than 50 people or 50 percent of room capacity.
* Multiple groups may meet in the same facility if they are socially distanced and in separate rooms.
* Groups should be static for duration of meeting sessions, participants should remain in one rom, and speakers/presenters should rotate between rooms or be digitally displayed (e.g. projected, live streamed) in multiple rooms.
* Dance floors should remain closed.
* Food service should follow Restaurant and Bar guidelines.
Manufacturing
* Employees must recieve COVID training before returning to work.
* All employees should have a wellness screening program. Employers should conduct in-person COVID-19 screening of employees upon entry and a mid-shift screening if employee shift is greater than five hours.
* Stagger and space shifts, and designate shift entrances and exits (when possible) to minimize interactions of employees across unique shift groupings.
* Workstations should be disinfected between every shift and in between employee handoffs.
* In-person meetings of up to 50 people with social distancing permitted.
Indoor/Outdoor
Recreation
* Reopening select indoor recreation facilities (e.g. bowling alleys, skating rinks); indoor playgrounds and trampoline parks should remain closed.
* Indoor recreation to operate at lesser of 50 customers or 50 percent of facility capacity.
* Outdoor recreation allowing group sizes of up to 50, and permitting multiple groups given facilities have space appropriately social distance can limit interaction between groups.
* Activity stations should be spaced at least 6 ft apart or limited in number to ensure social distancing.
* Shared equipment should be disinfected before and after each use.
* Clubhouses and other communal gathering places allowed to reopen.
* Concessions permitted with restrictions.
Offices
* Continue capacity limit of no more than 50 percent capacity.
* In-person meetings of up to 50 people with social distancing permitted.
* Continue health screenings, through employers may screen office employees via in-person conversation or questionnaire once at their workstation, or using virtual methods.
Retail and Service Counter
* Continue capacity limit of no more than 50 percent capacity.
* Mall food courts may reopen in line with Indoor Dining and Drinking guidelines.
Personal Care
* Continue capacity limit of no more than 50 percent capacity.
* If services require customer to remove his or her mask, employee must wear both a face mask and eye protection (e.g. face shield, protective glasses).
* No time restrictions on massage or other services.
Health and Fitness
* Capacity limit of no more than 50 percent occupancy.
* Group fitness classes of up to 50 people with at least 6 ft social distancing between individuals permitted; multiple groups permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups.
* Workout stations and equipment should be found 6 ft apart without barriers or 3 ft apart with impermeable barriers in between.
* For open gym spaces, have one employee per every 4,000 sq. ft. to monitor social distancing and sanitize equipment between use.
* Sanitize equipment before and after each individual use and sanitize locker rooms and showers at least every hour.
* Keep ancillary accommodations (e.g. saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms) closed, though childcare areas are permitted to reopen in line with DHFS childcare guidelines.
Museums
* Capacity limit of no more than 25 percent capacity.
* Guided tours should be limited with 50 or fewer people per group.
* Audio tours are permitted, though equipment should be disinfected before and after individual use.
* Museums should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing.
* Concessions permitted with restrictions.
Theaters and Performing Arts
* Seated theaters, cinemas, and performing arts centers for ticketed events with seating available for all customers permitted; general admission shows and/or events with standing room only are not permitted at this time.
* Indoor capacity limit of 50 or less or 50 percent of space capacity (applies to each screening room); outdoor capacity limited to 20 percent of overall space capacity.
* Patrons should wear face coverings over their nose and mouth, except while seated within a venue (exceptions can be made for people with medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from safely wearing a face covering.)
* Concessions permitted with restrictions.
Outdoor Seated Spectator Events
* Outdoor spector events only; indoor spectator events not permitted at this time.
* Tickets with seating available for all customers permitted; general admission shows and/or events with standing room only are not permitted at this time.
* Maximum of 20 percent of seating capacity for spectators.
* Concessions permitted with restrictions.
Zoos
* Capacity limit of no more than 25 percent capacity.
* Guided tours should be limited to 50 or fewer people per group.
* Indoor exhibits are limited to the lesser of 50 people or 50 percent of the building capacity.
* Audio tours are permitted, though equipment should be disinfected before and after individual use.
* Zoos should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing.
* Concessions permitted with restrictions.