The last Illinois region not currently under Phase 4 coronavirus mitigations is "on track" to loosen its mitigations Thursday if it continues trending in the right direction, health officials announced.
Region 4, also known as the Metro East Region in southwest Illinois, is currently under Tier 2 mitigations, but the Illinois Department of Public Health said it is near the metrics required to move back to Phase 4.
"If all the mitigation metrics continue to improve, Region 4 will move into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan on Thursday, February 4, 2021," the department said in a release Wednesday.
The move would mean all Illinois regions have returned to Phase 4 of the state's reopening guidelines after the state began allowing regions to move forward in mid-January.
Regions 8 and 9 - which include DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties in the Chicago area - were able to further loosen restrictions Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Region 10, which holds suburban Cook County, moved to Phase 4 while Region 7, which includes Will and Kankakee counties, returned on Monday. The city of Chicago entered a modified version of the phase over the weekend.
In order for a region to move to Phase 4 mitigations, it must meet three key criteria. It must have a positivity rate of 6.5% or better for three consecutive days, an ICU bed availability of 20% or greater for three consecutive days, and it must show decreases or stability in hospitalizations for COVID on seven of the preceding 10 days.
When a region moves from Tier 1 mitigations to Phase 4, indoor service at bars can resume, with an occupancy limit of 25% or 25 people, whichever is lower. Up to six people can be at a table at a time, according to the coronavirus rules imposed by the state.
Bars and restaurants must stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m., and must be closed by midnight under Phase 4 mitigations.
Here's a full list of Phase 4 guidelines:
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
• Indoor dining and drinking now permitted for parties of up to 10 people
• Seated areas should be arranged so that tables allow for 6 feet between parties; impermeable barriers may be installed between booths which are less than 6 feet apart
RETAIL AND SERVICE COUNTER
• Continue capacity limit of no more than 50% occupancy
PERSONAL CARE
• Continue capacity limit of no more than 50% occupancy
INDOOR/OUTDOOR RECREATION
• Reopening select indoor recreation facilities (e.g., bowling alleys, skating rinks); indoor playgrounds and trampoline parks should remain closed
• Indoor recreation to operate at lesser of 50 customers or 50% of facility capacity
MUSEUMS
• Capacity limit of no more than 25% occupancy
• Guided tours should be limited to 50 or fewer people per group
MEETINGS AND SOCIAL EVENTS
• Limit to the lesser of 50 people or 50% of room capacity
• Multiple groups may meet in the same facility if they are socially distanced and in separate rooms
IDPH said it will continue to closely monitor metrics in the state.
"Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increased measures," the department said.
