Gov. Pritzker Enacts COVID-19 Mitigations In Southern Illinois

MURPHYSBORO, IL — Gov. JB Pritzker has resumed daily weekday press conferences after every region has experienced increased positivity rates for coronavirus, which may call for mitigations to be implemented in some areas of the state.

Due to a resurgence of COVID-19 in Region 5, which encompasses southern Illinois, mitigation measures will be implemented starting at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. Pritzker has recently expressed concern about rising positivity rates particularly in Illinois regions that share borders with Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana, where coronavirus is surging.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the region is seeing a 7-day rolling average test positivity rate of 8 percent or above for three consecutive days, which exceeds the threshold set for establishing mitigation measures in the region under the state’s Restore Illinois Resurgence Plan.

Region 5 includes Marion, Jefferson, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Williamson, Saline, Hamilton, White, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Massac and Pulaski counties.

Schools in Region 5 are so far exempt from the mitigations. Measures taking effect Oct. 22 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 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 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable

To offset lost income from shutting down businesses, the state is distributing $24.6 million in emergency grans and assistance to businesses and communities in Region 5 alone. Businesses in the region will also receive priority consideration for the current round of Business Interruption Grants.

Pritzker will continue to hold daily weekday press conferences to ensure transparency as the state continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The governor warned of a new wave of the virus that could be revving up in Illinois and that state was ready to take action in response to rising cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

“While we continue to see a safer pandemic landscape than back in the Spring – in terms of positivity, hospital capacity, and community spread – and safer than much of the Midwest, things have changed,” Pritzker said at the news conference. “Every region of the state has started to move in the wrong direction. Cases, positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths are rising statewide. Experts have predicted for months that the country could see a resurgence of the virus as temperatures get colder and more people spend more time inside … We will follow public health recommendations to bring our numbers down, save our economy and let more of our kids go to school.”