Illinois moves into Phase 3
An open sign hangs on the fence of The Hillside Restaurant located at 121 North 2nd Street in DeKalb as many small businesses begin to re-open.
June 8, 2020
Phase three of the Restore Illinois Plan, recovery, re-opened restaurants and bars for outdoor dining only. Seating must have a minimum of six feet between tables.
The health and safety of people in Illinois matter first, according to a news release from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Groups of six people or fewer are also required in restaurants. Customers are only required to wear face masks when entering restaurants.
Pritzker announced Tuesday that restaurants and bars can sell curbside cocktails according to the Office of the Governor website.
Hospitalizations and demands for ICU beds are stable or declining from COVID-19 cases. In phase three, manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops, and salons can reopen to the public with capacity and other limits and safety precautions, according to the coronavirus Illinois website. Groups of 10 people or fewer are allowed in public. Also, face coverings and social distancing are still required.
Employees of non-essential businesses are allowed to return to work with the Illinois Department of Public Health approved safety guidance depending upon risk level, according to the coronavirus Illinois website.
Non-essential businesses included salons, gyms, movie theaters, and sporting events. Employers are also advised to provide accommodations for COVID-19-vulnerable employees.
Phase four, revitalization, will allow groups of up to fifty people to gather. Phase five, Illinois restored, will only happen once there is a vaccine for COVID-19.
Phase one, rapid spread, resulted in the stay-at-home order by Pritzker. Phase two, flattening, allowed non-essentials businesses to open for curbside pickup or delivery.
“The Restore Illinois plan is a public health plan to safely reintroduce the parts of our lives that have been on hold in our fight against COVID-19,” Pritzker said in a news release.
Visit the State of Illinois website for more information on the Restore Illinois Plan. Businesses can visit the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website for a guide to re-opening.
