Restore Illinois: 5-phase reopening plan by Governor Pritzker splits IL into 4 regions, Phase 4 reopening guidelines

ByABC 7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo

Friday, June 26, 2020

Reopening Illinois: Here's what to expect in Phase 3

Here's what you can expect in Phase 3 of Gov. Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Gov. JB Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan calls for reopening the state in five phases after meeting key benchmarks.

The plan splits Illinois into four regions: Northeast, North-Central, Central, and South, allowing each to move separately through the phases.

As part of Phase Two of the plan, non-essential retail businesses can open for pickup and delivery and golf and some other outdoor activities allowed with strict rules.

As part of Phase Three, officials say infection rates, hospitalizations and demand for ICU beds must be stable or declining. That would allow manufacturing, offices, retail and services, including hair salons, to reopen. Non-essential gatherings of ten or less would be allowed.

In Phase Four, any region would have to report a continued decline in infection rates and hospitalizations. That would allow restaurants and bars, child care and schools to reopen with safety rules and gatherings of up to 50 would be allowed.

Phase Five would mean the economy would fully open, likely after a treatment or vaccine.

WATCH: Here's what's changed about Phase 4 of Illinois' reopening

Illinois moves into Phase 4 of reopening June 26. What does that mean?

On June 22, Governor JB Pritzker released guidelines for Phase 4 of reopening.

Those guidelines are:

-Meetings and events: Venues and meeting spaces can resume with the lesser of up to 50 people OR 50% of overall room capacity. Multiple groups are permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups. This includes activities such as conferences and weddings.

-Indoor and Outdoor recreation: Revised guidelines to allow select indoor recreation facilities (e.g., bowling alleys, skating rinks), as well as clubhouses to reopen. Indoor recreation to operate at lesser of 50 customers OR 50% of facility capacity with outdoor recreation allowing group sizes of up to 50, and permitting multiple groups given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups; concessions permitted with restrictions.
-Indoor Dining: Indoor dining can reopen with groups of 10 or less, with tables spaced 6-feet apart in seated areas and with standing areas at no more than 25% of capacity.

-Museums: Can reopen with no more than 25% occupancy, and with interactive exhibits and rides closed; guided tours should be limited to 50 people or fewer per group; museums should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing; concessions permitted with restrictions.

-Zoos: Can reopen with no more than 25% occupancy, and with interactive exhibits, indoor exhibits, and rides closed; guided tours should be limited to 50 people or fewer per group; zoos should have a plan to limit congregation via advance ticket sales and timed ticketing; concessions permitted with restrictions.

-Cinema and Theatre: Indoor seated theaters, cinemas, and performing arts centers to allow admission of the lesser of up to 50 guests OR 50% of overall theater or performance space capacity (applies to each screening room); outdoor capacity limited to 20% of overall theater or performance space capacity; concessions permitted with restrictions.

-Outdoor seated spectator events: Outdoor spectator sports can resume with no more than 20% of seating capacity; concessions permitted with restrictions.

-Film production: Allow no more than 50% of sound stage or filming location capacity; crowd scenes should be limited to 50 people or fewer.
Industries with revised guidelines in Phase 4:

-Youth and Recreational Sports: Revised guidelines allow competitive gameplay and tournaments; youth and recreational sports venues can operate at 50% of facility capacity, 20% seating capacity for spectators, and group sizes up to 50 with multiple groups permitted during practice and competitive games given venues have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups; concessions permitted with restrictions.

-Health and fitness centers: Revised guidelines allow gyms to open at 50% capacity and allow group fitness classes of up to 50 people with new safety guidelines for indoors, with multiple groups permitted given facilities have space to appropriately social distance and can limit interaction between groups.

-Day camps: Water-based activities permitted in accordance with IDPH guidelines; no more than 50% of facility capacity with group size of no more than 15 participants in a group, unless participants changing weekly.

On May 20, Pritzker announced significant changes to Phase Three of the plan, which the entire state is scheduled to move to on May 29. Here are the changes as issued by the governor's office:

BARS AND RESTAURANTS

With Phase 3, bars and restaurants will have the option to resume operations for outdoor seating only. Tables must be 6 feet apart and away from the sidewalks, masks and distancing measures for staff must continue to be followed, and other precautions and guidance will be issued.

These measures will allow restaurants to reopen at a risk comparable to other outdoor activities, while giving the state's hospitality industry a much-needed boost.

Municipalities are encouraged to help restaurants and bars expand their outdoor seating options.

To date, the administration has delivered over $14 million in small business grants averaging $20,000 to 699 bars, restaurants and hotels across 270 individual cities in Illinois.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

With the start of Phase Three, all state parks will reopen on May 29. All concession will reopen as well under guidelines set for our retail and food service businesses in Phase Three. Illinois will permit the reopening of indoor and outdoor tennis facilities with Illinois Department of Public Health safety precautions and capacity limits.

For golf, in Phase Three, courses can allow foursomes out on the same tee times. Carts will also be permitted with one person per cart, or one immediate household per cart.

With the new 10-person gathering limit for all activities in Phase Three, boating or camping with up to 10 people will be permitted.

The state will be providing guidance on how other outdoor recreational businesses, such as driving ranges, outdoor shooting ranges, and paintball courses can safely open their doors in Phase Three.

HEALTH CLUBS, RETAIL, PERSONAL CARE

In Phase Three, health clubs, gyms and fitness studios can provide one-on-one personal training in indoor facilities and outdoor fitness classes of up to 10 people.

Personal care services, like nail salons, tattoo shops, hair braiders, spas and barbershops, can open with IDPH safety precautions and capacity limits.

And all retail stores can open their doors to in-person shopping with IDPH safety precautions and capacity limits in place.

Local governments retain the right to establish stricter restrictions in any areas.

Further industry-specific guidance will be issued by the state and Illinois Department of Public Health in the days leading up to the transition to Phase Three.