CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday 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.
According to the Mayor, this strategy identifies a series of metrics that will determine when and how Chicago can carefully reopen businesses and expand indoor capacity so as not to reverse the progress made in the city’s fight against COVID-19 in recent weeks and months.
Under the plan, indoor service at bars, restaurants, and events can expand to the lesser of 25 percent capacity or 50 people per room or floor effective Thursday, Feb. 11.
Previously, the capacity had been set at 25 percent capacity or 25 people, whichever was fewer.
The easing of additional restrictions, including the expansion of indoor capacity to 40 percent, will be possible once the city reaches at least the “Moderate-Risk” level in the following metrics:
• COVID cases diagnosed per day;
• COVID test positivity;
• Emergency Department visits for COVID-like illness; and,
• Total number of ICU beds occupied by COVID patients.
Capacity can then increase to 50 percent after two weeks (one incubation period) of successfully maintaining at least the “Moderate-Risk” level across all four metrics.
“We are definitely trending in the right direction today, and I thank the residents and businesses that continue to do what is necessary to save lives,” said Mayor Lightfoot. “The tragedy of this pandemic unfortunately continues, but there’s hope at the end of this long journey. This path to 50% capacity ensures that we move forward with hope and confidence, but also with the necessary precautions in place to ensure that the rush to reopen doesn’t endanger our progress.”
The mayor’s announcement comes as many Chicago restaurants have urged the city to allow greater indoor-dining capacity as Valentine’s Day approaches.
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The Chicago Restaurants Coalition had urged the city to allow 50 percent capacity right away. Coordinator Roger Romanelli said raising the maximum number of people allowed in a room to 50 does not help most restaurants, because they’re one-room operations.
He called the rules on restaurants unfair and uniquely punitive, since bowling alleys are allowed to operate at 40 percent capacity.
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In recent weeks and months, Chicago has made significant progress in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The positivity rate on Wednesday was 4.7 percent, the lowest it has been since early October.
“While we’re excited to be making this move today and further re-opening Chicago, it needs to be done the right way or we risk seeing an uptick in cases and having to tighten restrictions yet again,” said CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady. “I’m proud of how far we’ve come as a city and I know we can do this smartly and safely.”
Under the framework released Wednesday, now that Chicago has made enough progress to move out of state-imposed Tier 1 Mitigation Measures, CDPH has identified four metrics that are being used locally to determine the process for continuing to ease COVID-19 regulations. Those metrics are:
• COVID cases diagnosed per day: currently averaging 466, in the “High-Risk” level. This number must be below 400 new cases per day to reach the “Moderate-Risk” level.
• COVID test positivity: currently averaging 4.7%, in the “Low-Risk” level
• Emergency Departments visits for COVID-like illness: currently averaging 69 per day, in the “Moderate-Risk” level
• ICU beds occupied by COVID patients: currently averaging 148, in the “Moderate-Risk” level
More information on Chicago’s plan for cautious reopening will be available at chicago.gov/reopening.
In order to ensure that Cook County moves forward safely and cautiously, the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) and Stickney Township are announcing that their suburban Cook County jurisdictions are aligning with Chicago’s reopening framework. Therefore, effective Thursday in suburban Cook County, bars, restaurants and events can increase indoor service capacity to the lesser of 25 percent or 50 people.
“We are cautiously optimistic about relaxing some restrictions – but it is imperative that we are careful in light of the new, very transmissible variants we are seeing,” said Dr. Rachel Rubin, Senior Medical Officer and Co-Lead, Cook County Department of Public Health. “We must also continue to wear masks, watch our distance, and wash our hands to continue the gains we are making.”
More information on the regulations in suburban Cook County can be found at cookcountypublichealth.org.