Indoor Dining Ban, Virus Restrictions Could Return To Cook County

CHICAGO, IL — Restrictions intended to curb the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on indoor dining, could return to suburban Cook County within "a matter of days," one county public health official told reporters on Saturday.

Dr. Rachel Rubin, co-lead of the Cook County Department of Public Health, said another rise in cases could trigger the department to re-enact restrictions, the Chicago Tribune reported. That could mean a ban on indoor dining and imposing gathering limits, she said.

“We may very well have to clamp down within a matter of days,” Rubin said, according to the Tribune report. “I’m not promising that one way or the other.”

Rubin's prediction comes as coronavirus cases are on the rise in Cook County.

Suburban Cook County's seven-day case average remains at 498 daily cases. As of last week, the positivity rate was 5 percent, near the 8 percent benchmark that prompted shutdowns last fall.

The county ended some mitigation measures at the end of March, including an increase in the number of people allowed to eat in groups outdoors and opening amusement parks at 25 percent capacity.

The rollback also affected outdoor fitness classes, meetings, social events and recreation activities by increasing capacity to 50 percent or 100 people.