Here's What Will Change as Illinois Enters ‘Bridge Phase,' Phase 5

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has announced that Illinois will enter the "Bridge Phase" of the state's reopening plan next week, with plans to fully reopen in June.

Illinois has been in Phase 4, without added mitigations, for much of 2021, but the Bridge Phase will loosen restrictions further and increase capacity limits before the final Phase 5.

Phase 5 would see no capacity limits, though Pritzker noted the state will continue following mask guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So what changes between Phase 4 and the Bridge Phase? Here's a breakdown by category:

• Dining
  • Phase 4: Seated areas: Patrons ≥ 6 feet apart; parties ≤ 10, Standing areas: 25% capacity
    • In Chicago: Indoors: 50% capacity with no more than 100 people per space; table size ≤ 6, Outdoors: 6 feet between parties; table size ≤ 10
  • Bridge Phase: Seated areas: Patrons ≥ 6 feet apart; parties ≤ 10, Standing areas: 30% capacity indoors; 50% capacity outdoors
    • In Chicago: 75% capacity with at least 6 ft. between parties; table size ≤ 10; Seating at bars/counters limited to 6 per party indoors and outdoors, Standing areas limited to 25% capacity
• Health and fitness
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity, Group fitness classes of 50 or fewer indoors or 100 or fewer outdoors
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity, Group fitness classes of 50 or fewer indoors or 100 or fewer outdoors
• Offices
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Personal care
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Retail and service counter
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Amusement parks
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Festivals and general admission outdoor spectator events
  • Phase 4: 15 people per 1,000 sq. ft.
  • Bridge Phase: 30 people per 1,000 sq. ft.
• Flea and farmers markets
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity or 15 people per 1,000 sq. ft.
  • Bridge Phase: Indoor: 15 people per 1,000 sq. ft., Outdoor: 30 people per 1,000 sq. ft.
• Film production
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Meetings, conferences and conventions
  • Phase 4: Venue with capacity < 200 persons: Lesser of 50 people or 50% capacity *, Venue with capacity ≥ 200 persons: Lesser of 250 people or 25% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: Lesser of 1,000 people or 60% capacity
• Museums
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Recreation
  • Phase 4: Indoor: Lesser of 50 people or 50% capacity, Outdoor: Maximum groups of 50; multiple groups permissible
  • Bridge Phase: Indoor: Lesser of 100 people or 50% capacity, Outdoor: Maximum groups of 100; multiple groups permissible
• Social events
  • Phase 4: Indoor: Lesser of 50 people or 50% capacity, Outdoor: Lesser of 100 people or 50% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: Indoor: 250 people, Outdoor: 500 people
• Spectator events (ticketed and seated)
  • Phase 4: Indoor venue with capacity < 200 people: Lesser of 50 people or 50% capacity, Outdoor venue or indoor venue with capacity ≥ 200 people: 25% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Theaters and performing arts
  • Phase 4: Indoor venue with capacity < 200 persons: Lesser of 50 or 50% capacity, Outdoor venue or indoor venue with capacity ≥ 200 persons: 25% capacity
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity
• Zoos
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity, Lesser of 50 or 50% at indoor exhibits
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity

Phase 5 has no capacity limits or restrictions on any sectors of the economy, state officials say, with "businesses, schools and recreation resuming normal operations with new safety guidance and procedures."

Unlike previous tiered mitigations that were implemented regionally late last year during the fall surge of the pandemic, the state will move through the Bridge Phase and Phase 5 all at once. Chicago officials announced last week that the city would advance to the Bridge Phase with the rest of Illinois if metrics remain stable and it meets the required criteria.

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During a news conference announcing the return of the Chicago Auto Show Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city is on track to enter Phase 5 by July 4. It remains unclear if the city will join the state in a June reopening, however.

The state could revert back to a previous phase in its reopening plan if there is a resurgence in the pandemic, officials say. That would be measured by an unspecified "increasing trend" in Illinois' case rate as well as one of the following, measured over a 10-day monitoring period:

• Hospital admissions for COVID-19 like illness trend increasing and above 150 daily average
• COVID-19 patients in the hospital trend increasing and above 750 daily census
• Mortality rate trend increasing and above 0.1 daily average
• ICU bed availability < 20%