Skip to main content

Local Restaurants and Bars Allowed to Reopen, Gov. Pritzker Says

 By Shayna Griffith


Image Credit: Joliet Herald-News

Gov. Pritzker gave Will and Kankakee County restaurants and bars the green light to resume serving indoor guests during a press conference on Friday morning. This means that Will and Kankakee Counties will return to Phase 4 starting this week.


In late August, restaurants and bars were ordered to temporarily end serving guests indoors as coronavirus cases increased in Will county, breaking the 8% threshold. However, as of Friday, Will and Kankakee Counties have reached the threshold to lift these restrictions as coronavirus cases decreased for three consecutive days with only a 5.6% positivity rate.


Many small businesses are celebrating these lifted restrictions in the Joliet area since the outdoor-only seating mitigations were damaging their business. The Joliet Area Restaurant and Bar Guide posted the news to its Facebook page on Friday morning: 


“Great News. Will County is back in business. Per Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health ... This means that the region is returned to Phase 4 at 5 p.m. today. Restaurants and bars can reopen for indoor dining and meetings, social events and gatherings can return to a limit of 50 people."


In his press conference, Gov. Pritzker described the communities’ committed efforts to keeping coronavirus cases low by taking restrictions seriously and staying home when ordered. “We can't outrun this virus,” he said, “but with the tools we know to work – masks, distancing, handwashing, and respect for public health and each other – we can beat it back enough to keep our businesses open and our neighborhoods safer all at once. Don't let up now, Region 7 – let's keep this success going."


But some business did just the opposite for the sake of staying open. Rick Thayer, owner of Joliet's Thayer Bros. Deli on Ruby Street, started serving indoor guests 5 days before the restrictions were even lifted. 


Coronavirus positivity rates will continue to be monitored in the upcoming weeks. If the percentage rate surpasses the 6.5% threshold, restaurants and bars will once again be restricted to outdoor seating only.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A New Board Game Coffee Shop in Shorewood: The Critical Grind

 Noëllie Inard Credit: www.criticalgrind.com  On Thursday, November 10th, a new cafe named the Critical Grind Board Game Café opened in Shorewood, Illinois. This coffee shop is a little different from cafes already opened in the Joliet, Plainfield and Shorewood areas. Situated on 852 Sharp Drive in the Sharp Center off Black Road near Route 59 in Shorewood, the coffee shop, previously owned by a kickboxing studio, is close to the Bliss Hair Studio. The owners, Dana Buxbaum and her husband Shaun Tenant, mixed what they loved to create their idea of the perfect coffee shop. “I always wanted a coffee shop,” said Dana Buxbaum, “My husband and I combined our love of gaming with my vision of the coffee shop.” The coffee shop has made available bookshelves full of games such as Clue, The Serial Killer Trivia Game, Sorry, Dragoon and many more. In an interview with Patch editor, Buxbaum stated that they have “[...] about 400 games in [their] library” with family-friendly and inclusive...
Post a Comment
Read more

Troubled Criminals in Joliet

 A numerous amount of Joliet's crimes have been committed by troubled individuals. A lot of these people need help and need to get a better grasp on life and the decisions they make. The following stories detail some of these troubled criminals' experience with breaking the law.  Man Caught With Child Pornography     Joliet, IL - Bernard Kelly, a 29-year-old man, had his house raided by Illinois State Police. The police conducted the raid at Kelly's home on the 1300 block of Copperfield Avenue after an in-depth investigation. They found the child pornography in a file on one of Kelly's electronic devices.  Kelly was arrested and taken to Will County Jail. He is facing 3 counts of possession of child porn and currently has a bail of $250,000. Police announce that the investigation is still open and will be ongoing.  Man Turns Himself In After Domestic Violence     Joliet, IL - Back in October a woman was attacked by her partner Justin Gillett. Gill...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage is Coming to the Rialto Square Theatre!

Photo Courtesy of A Charlie Brown Christmas Live By: Saba Aamir Joliet, IL.  – The Peanuts gang is coming to the Rialto Square Theatre on November 30th at 6:30 p.m. for  A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage . The on-stage adaptation of the animated television show will feature your favorite scenes and expand the story we all know with fun music and performances.  "‍Adapted from Charles M. Schulz's timeless story and featuring the music of Vince Guaraldi,  A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage  is a present that the whole family can enjoy," the official  A Charlie Brown Christmas Live   website states. Since the television show's release 50 years ago, the story's withstanding tradition has warmed the hearts of millions of fans. Every year during the Christmas season in the United States, Schulz's story is broadcast on television. It has also been awarded an Emmy and a Peabody Award. The unique on-stage adaptation of the story will give the audi...
Post a Comment
Read more