SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday afternoon the COVID-19 mitigations the rest of the region has encountered are going into effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, for Region 3.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Pritzker announced Region 3, which has Macoupin, Jersey, Calhoun and Greene Counties, along with the rest of the counties: Adams, Scott, Hancock, Pike, Sangamon, Brown, Logan, Menard, Mason, Montgomery, Schyler, Morgan, Cass, Christian and Menard Counties, have sustained an average positivity rate of 8 percent or higher for three days as of Thursday, today, hitting the 8.8 percent.
“Starting Sunday, they’ll join the majority of the state in operating under resurgence mitigations,” Gov. Pritzker said. “That’s up from 4.6 percent in September and in mid-August summer peak of 6.2 percent. The region’s COVID-19-related hospital admissions today have tripled since early September.”
Pritzker continued and said: “Something has to give, and these mitigations aim to cut down on those high-risk activities until we bring down the positivity rate once again. In the meantime, we’re upping testing in the area, with a mobile site at the Sangamon County Health Department this Saturday and Sunday.”
IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike supported Gov. Pritzker wholeheartedly and pointed out this is the only time the area has had to take this severe action since the state was reopened. She said with the high positivity COVID-19 numbers, it was a necessity to impose the mitigations on bars and restaurants.
Mitigation measures taking effect Nov. 1 in Region 3 Include:
Bars
- No indoor service
- All outside bar service closes at 11:00 p.m.
- All bar 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 indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
- No dancing or standing indoors
- Reservations required for each party
- No seating of multiple parties at one table
Restaurants
- No indoor dining or bar service
- All outdoor dining closes at 11:00 p.m.
- Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
- Reservations required for each party
- No seating of multiple parties at one table
Meetings, Social Events, Gatherings
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity
- No party buses
- Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable
