By John Raspante | image courtesy of Daily Journal
On Friday morning (September 18), Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the coronavirus restrictions placed on Region 7, the greater Will and Kankakee County areas, have finally been lifted.
Three weeks ago, these counties reached a rolling positivity rate of 8 percent, which led the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to place strict mitigations on Will and Kankakee Counties. These mitigations shut down all indoor bar and restaurant service and reduced the limit of people at social events/gatherings to 25.
In order to lift the restrictions,
Region 7 had to cross the threshold of a rolling positivity rate of less than
6.5 percent for three consecutive days. As of Friday, Pritzker’s administration
issued a news release stating that the region did in fact cross that threshold,
with Friday’s rate down as low as 5.6 percent.
“Today, Region 7 – Will and Kankakee Counties – will return
to the standard Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan because residents chose to
be all in for each other, for their small businesses, for their bars and
restaurants, and for their neighbors,” said Governor Pritzker in the news
release. “Let that be a testament to the power of a community that embraces
doctor-recommended mitigations proven to reduce risk and slow the spread. We
can’t outrun this virus, 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.”
With the transition back to Phase 4, this reopened all indoor
service in bars and restaurants, and brought up the number of people allowed at
social events/gathering to 50. Things are looking bright as Illinois continues to
fight this global pandemic, and this is a sign that things can turn
around if everyone does their part.
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