IL health officials considering return of statewide COVID restrictions, Pritzker says
Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois could see a return to statewide COVID-19 restrictions if an uncontrolled spread of the virus continues.
The announcement comes as the state marked two grim milestones Thursday — the largest single-day increase in deaths since early June and surpassing 10,000 deaths. That continued on Friday as the state reporter 10,376 new cases.
An additional 97 Illinoisans died of COVID-19 complications on Thursday and 49 more died Friday, bringing the total count to 10,079 deaths.
“Each day we are losing more and more of our neighbors to this virus. That’s not a trend that’s going to turn around on its own,” Pritzker said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health is considering “further regional and statewide restrictions because the rise in cases and hospitalizations is unsustainable,” the governor added.
That could include any of the statewide restrictions outlined in previous phases of the state’s reopening plan, Restore Illinois. Phase 1 included a stay-at-home order. The entire state was under some Phase 3 restrictions as of Thursday, including a ban on indoor service at bars and restaurants.
Any return of restrictions in previous phases or in additional tiers might not align precisely with those implemented in the past.
The metro-east area, one of 11 regions defined by IDPH statewide, saw the return of extra restrictions on Oct. 28. The state refers to restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19 as “resurgence mitigations.”
The state implemented a regional approach to controlling the virus after lifting the most restrictive rules on the economy in late June. But if hospitalizations and case rates continue, the governor said a statewide approach could return.
A week ago, health officials reported a rolling average of 2,700 COVID-19 patients in hospitals statewide, Pritzker said. On Thursday, the average had increased to more than 3,400, a 120% increase since the beginning of October when the state average was roughly 1,500.
“If the current trajectory continues, if our hospitals continue to fill up, if more and more people continue to lose their lives to this disease, we’re going to implement further statewide mitigations, which nobody, and I mean nobody, wants,” Pritzker said.
The governor pleaded with local elected officials to enforce restrictions. Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder has said the capital city won’t enforce the rules, as have leaders in Normal, Lincoln and East Peoria, The Pantagraph newspaper reported Tuesday.
State health officials reported 9,935 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Illinois Thursday for a total of 447,491 cases.
The five phases of the state’s reopening plan include:
Phase 1: The rate of infection among those tested and the number of patients admitted to the hospital is high or rapidly increasing. Strict stay at home and social distancing guidelines are put in place and only essential businesses remain open. Every region has experienced this phase once already, and could return to it if mitigation efforts are unsuccessful.
Phase 2: The rate of infection among those tested and the number of patients admitted to the hospital beds and ICU beds increases at an ever slower rate, moving toward a flat and even a downward trajectory. Nonessential retail stores reopen for curbside pickup and delivery. Illinoisans are directed to wear a face covering when outside the home and can begin enjoying additional outdoor activities like golf, boating and fishing while practicing social distancing.
Phase 3: The rate of infection among those surveillance tested, the number of patients admitted to the hospital, and the number of patients needing ICU beds is stable or declining. Manufacturing, offices, retail, barbershops and salons can reopen to the public with capacity and other limits and safety precautions. Gatherings limited to 10 people or fewer are allowed. Face coverings and social distancing are the norm.
Phase 4: The rate of infection among those surveillance tested and the number of patients admitted to the hospital continues to decline. Gatherings of 50 people or fewer are allowed, restaurants and bars reopen, travel resumes, child care and schools reopen under guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Face coverings and social distancing are the norm.
Phase 5: With a vaccine or highly effective treatment widely available or the elimination of any new cases over a sustained period, the economy fully reopens with safety precautions continuing. Conventions, festivals and large events are permitted, and all businesses, schools and places of recreation can open with new safety guidance and procedures in place reflecting the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 3:20 PM.
