The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has issued resurgence mitigation measures beginning Friday, October 23 for Illinois Region 8 which includes Kane and DuPage Counties.
Tier 1 restrictions are imposed on restaurants, bars and social gatherings. Indoor bar and restaurant service is prohibited. Social gatherings (including weddings and funerals) are limited to the lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors. Additional restrictions are found below on this press release, online at KaneHealth.com and at dceocovid19resources.com/assets/Restore-Illinois/COVID-19-Resurgence-Migitations.pdf
IDPH added Kane County to its COVID-19 county watch list Friday, Oct. 16. Two of the metrics which triggered the warning level for Kane County include increases in the new case rate and number of deaths.
As of October 17, Kane County’s seven-day rolling positivity rate was 11.9% (dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics?regionID=8).
Regions that are experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 will operate under these new mitigation requirements:
Bars:
• All bars close at 11 p.m. and may reopen no earlier than 6 a.m. the following day
• No indoor service
• All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
• No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
• Tables should be six 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
Restaurant:
• All restaurants close at 11 p.m. and may reopen no earlier than 6am the following day
• No indoor dining or bar service
• Tables should be six 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 and gatherings (including weddings, funerals, potlucks):
• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors
• No party buses
• Gaming and Casinos close at 11 p.m., are limited to 25% capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable
Organized group recreational activities (fitness centers, sports):
• No change
• All Sports Guidance effective August 15, 2020, remains in effect
• Outdoor Activities (not included in the above exposure settings) continue per current DCEO guidance
IDPH will continue to track the positivity rate in regions requiring additional mitigations over a 14-day monitoring period to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigation should remain in place. If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5% over a three-day period, the region will return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan. If the positivity rate averages between 6.5% and 8%, IDPH will continue to monitor the region to determine if additional mitigations are needed. If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8% after 14 days, more stringent mitigations can be applied to further reduce spread of the virus, which could include reducing capacity on organized group recreation, fitness or other activities supported by local contact tracing data and temporary suspension of certain activities.
As detailed in the July 15 Restore Illinois resurgence plan, resurgence mitigations are applied if a region’s positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent for three consecutive days, or if a region experiences a sustained increase in the positivity rate. Additional factors include a sustained increase in hospital admissions for a COVID-19 like illness or reduction in hospital capacity that threatens surge capabilities. As long as the rolling positivity rate remains between 6.5% and 8%, the restrictions will remain in place. Positivity rates above 8% after 14 days may trigger additional restrictions, as detailed at coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan. If the rolling positivity rate drops back below 6.5%, the mitigations will be relaxed.
Kane County Health Department (KCHD) director Barbara Jeffers responded to the Governor’s orders.
“We were aware of the possibility that we would tip the metric and find ourselves in this position,” said Jeffers. “Kane County will now be required to become more restrictive and we will work with the Governor’s Office and IDPH to implement those measures. We know we have a high positivity rate that currently exceeds 100/100,000 persons. If we work together, we can regain control of our community to get the restrictions lifted. I know the challenges of mitigation but it’s a small price to pay to wear a mask, keep your social distance, limit group sizes, wash your hands so that our community is healthy, our children return to school and our economy flourishes.”
Additional grants for businesses affected by the mitigation efforts can be found under the Business Interruption Grant at DCEO.Illinois.gov. KCHD is reaching out to leaders in the public and private sector to urge a united front to reverse this surge before winter and colder weather drives people indoors. This week, KCHD will release an updated toolkit on its website, KaneHealth.com, to help businesses protect their employees and customers.
The department continues to encourage residents to contact them with concerns about businesses not following the guidelines by calling 630-208-3801 or CovidConcerns@co.kane.il.us.
All residents are encouraged to wear a face covering, maintain 6 feet of social distance, wash hands frequently, avoid gatherings with people not in your household, and stay home when ill.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the KCHD website at KaneHealth.com.
—Kane County Health Department