Southwestern IL gets new COVID restrictions after 3 straight days of 8% positivity rates
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new restrictions for the metro-east Sunday after the region reached three consecutive days above the state-set threshold for positivity rate amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Illinois Department of Public Health’s website on Sunday reported an 8.5% seven-day rolling average of positive coronavirus tests for the metro-east, or Region 4, the highest in the state. The state defines the metro-east region as St. Clair, Madison, Randolph, Clinton, Monroe, Washington and Bond counties.
The restrictions will begin Tuesday, the state said in a news release Sunday. These include the closing of bars, restaurants, and casinos by 11 p.m., the closing of party buses and the reduction of gathering sizes to the lesser of 25 people or 25 percent of room capacity.
The measures will remain in effect over a 14-day period. After that, more stringent restrictions, such as the closing of indoor bars and dining, can be implemented if a high rate of positive tests continues.
“The new measures were developed in close coordination with local public health administrators and county officials and account for the unique characteristics of the region,” the release stated.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I have made it clear that neither arbitrary dates on a calendar nor political pressure will dictate Illinois’ efforts to protect our people. If the data shows we need to go backwards in our reopening, I won’t hesitate to tighten restrictions to protect our collective health,” Pritzker said in the release.
“Region 4 of our statewide 11 reopening regions — the Metro East — has now surpassed an 8 percent seven-day rolling average positivity rate — a trend that I have made clear would trigger stricter mitigations when this plan was announced in July. ... Dr. [Ngozi] Ezike and I are imploring local leaders and residents alike: if you haven’t been taking this seriously yet, now is the time to start.”
Ezike is the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Pritzker will hold a press conference Monday to address the restrictions for the metro-east.
Restrictions
For bars, the restrictions include:
- All bars close at 11 p.m., which matches the new closing time at bars in St. Louis
- No ordering, seating or congregating at a bar, with bar stools removed
- All bar patrons seated at tables inside and outside
- All indoor tables reduced to six people or less
- Tables 6 feet apart
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or leaving
- No dancing or standing indoors
- Reservations required for each party
At restaurants:
- All restaurants close at 11 p.m., which matches the new closing time at restaurants in St. Louis
- All indoor tables reduced to six people or less
- Tables 6 feet apart
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or leaving
- Reservations required for each party
- If the restaurant also has a bar, the rules for bars apply
For social gatherings:
- Limit to fewer than 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity
- All reception halls closed
- No party buses
- Gaming and casinos close at 11 p.m. and are limited to 25% capacity
Rules for recreational activities, such as sports and fitness, will not change. The Sports Safety Guidance rules that went into place on Aug. 15 remain in effect. Outdoor activities (not included in the above exposure settings) can continue with guidance from the state’s executive order recommendations.
Schools will not be affected as part of the mitigation restrictions either.
Susan Sarfaty, the St. Clair County Regional superintendent, said Sunday during a St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency livestream that she doesn’t “really know” why schools were not included in the state’s restrictions. The guidance for schools will remain a local decision for districts, she said.
St. Clair County Chairman Mark Kern said during the same livestream that the recommendation of reservations at bars and restaurants is so there can be a log of who entered the establishments in case someone does test positive for COVID-19.
Illinois Sen. John Schimpf (R-Waterloo) said in a statement Sunday he did not support Pritzker’s decision.
“Governor Pritzker’s arbitrary and misguided sanctions on Monroe, Madison, St. Clair, Randolph, Washington, Bond, and Clinton counties come at the worst possible time as communities are attempting to resume school and rebuild their businesses,” the statement said. “COVID-19 hospitalization rates in these counties remain low with no threat of exceeding medical capacity. Nevertheless, the Governor has decided that bar stools, reception halls and groups of 26 or more people are not allowed for the next fourteen days. These new restrictions represent an absurd attempt to show that he is ‘doing something,’ but in reality will do little more than to wreak further economic havoc on the families of this region.”
Numbers in St. Clair predicted to continue rising
“We can get by with these rules, but if we continue to get increases, I can guarantee you that no one will be happy,” Emergency Management Agency Director Herb Simmons said, noting that he believes the region took a step backward. “We’re in it for the long haul.”
Simmons said the agency was predicting a positivity rate of 9.1% for the region as of Sunday, and that numbers may continue to rise “at least for the next couple of days.”
The 8.5% rolling average sent the metro-east into the first tier of the state’s program to slow the spread of COVID-19.
According to the state, if 8% or more of the tests performed in the prior seven days are positive for COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, for three consecutive days, the state will reimpose some restrictions that have been lifted.
The state’s restrictions fall into a tier system. There are three tiers, each with more restrictive guidelines that can be triggered if the rate of positive coronavirus tests continues at above 8%.
Statistics on the state’s website at dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics are delayed by three days, so Thursday was the latest date information was available on Sunday.
Additionally, the metro-east’s rate of diagnoses had increased for six days, and just 32% of medical and surgical beds in the region were available as of Sunday, according to the state.
Kern said Sunday, “Together we can get through this, but this is a change and a change that’s designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 and sets a higher bar than has normally been set.”
This story was originally published August 16, 2020 at 3:58 PM.
.jpg)