As colder weather approaches, Illinois' top doctor said on Friday that dining inside a tent is considered the same as eating inside a restaurant.
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said a daily coronavirus briefing that "an indoor tent is the same as indoor dining."
"If it has four sides, you are essentially indoors," Ezike said.
She explained that for outdoor dining to be successful, state health officials suspect there will be "some kind of apparatus" and that the structure should have just two sides.
Ezike became visibly emotional Friday, urging people to "stay strong" as the state battles a resurgence of coronavirus cases and looks for solutions to fight the pandemic.
"The way we work, the way we live, the way we play has all changed," she stated during a daily coronavirus news briefing alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker. "And the harsh reality is that the sacrifices we've made, and that we continue to make, do not have a future expiration date."
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The state's stop health official became visibly emotional Friday, urging people to "stay strong" as the state battles a resurgence of coronavirus cases and looks for solutions to fight the pandemic.
"The way we work, the way we live, the way we play has all changed," she stated during a daily coronavirus news briefing alongside Gov. J.B. Pritzker. "And the harsh reality is that the sacrifices we've made, and that we continue to make, do not have a future expiration date."
Earlier in the day, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported a new testing record within a recent 24-hour span as well as 3,874 new cases of coronavirus and 31 additional deaths.
The figures were reported as new restrictions took effect in Chicago and four suburban counties to slow the spread of the deadly virus.
Regions 7 (Will and Kankakee counties) and 8 (DuPage and Kane counties) both exceeded the 8% positivity rate threshold for three consecutive days, automatically triggering enhanced mitigation efforts.
Noting that hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase in Illinois, Ezike acknowledged COVID-19 has created a "horrible situation" and continues to take a mental, social and emotional toll on people.
"...This is a difficult race when you can't actually see the end point, and I'm sorry that that's the message I have for you," the IDPH director said. "Nevertheless, I'm asking you to fight the fatigue."
During the daily news briefing, Ezike begged Illinois residents to "think beyond ourselves," and continue to practice key mitigation strategies such as social distancing, wearing masks and limiting the number of people at social gatherings.
"...Think about the people that we could unknowingly infect, who may not be as fortunate to have the immune system and the healthy status that you may have," she said. "... But we do have a choice... We can do these things so that we don't hurt those around us."
