CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The city of Chicago on Tuesday announced a further loosening of indoor dining restrictions due to the continued decline in new COVID-19 cases per day.
Under the new rules, Chicago restaurants and bars can offer indoor service at 40% of capacity or 50 people, whichever is less, effective immediately, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office announced.
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“In recent days, we have made incredible progress in the ongoing effort to save lives and defeat this deadly virus,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “I am thrilled that we have made enough headway to cautiously ease more regulations, but I once again want to remind all our businesses and residents that we are not out of the woods yet. Only by committing to what we know works will we be able to continue moving forward carefully and responsibly.”
The expansion is made possible by the continued decline in new COVID-19 cases per day, which has remained under 400, based on the seven-day rolling average, for the last three days.
Other metrics needed to ease restrictions included COVID test positivity, emergency department visits for COVID-like illness, and total number of ICU beds occupied by COVID patients.
Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, says neighborhood restaurants are grateful to get more people in the door because “every little bit helps.”
But he says larger restaurants downtown with even greater capacity would love to do even more serving.
Previously, Mayor Lightfoot announced a “pathway” that would allow restaurants, bars and event venues eventually to serve 50 percent of their indoor capacity, provided certain COVID-19 metrics continue to be met across the city.
Capacity can increase to 50 percent after two weeks (one incubation period) of successfully maintaining at least the “Moderate-Risk” level across all four metrics.