On March 18, Governor Pritzker announced revisions to the Restore Illinois plan that lay out the State's roadmap to lift most COVID-19 safety restrictions based on vaccination rates. The revised plan calls for:
- Phase 4: Some increased capacity limits effective immediately (mostly for outdoor activities).
- Bridge: After 70% of residents aged 65 and older have been received their first dose of the vaccine, capacity limits are further increased in indoor and outdoor settings.
- Phase 5: After 50% of residents aged 16 and older have received their first dose of the vaccine, capacity limits are lifted. Wearing a mask in public and other measures will remain in effect.
The above steps include monitoring periods based on COVID-19 health metrics such as new cases and hospitalization.
At this time, our area (Region 9 - Lake and McHenry County) is under Phase 4 of Restore Illinois COVID-19 Mitigations as of February 3, 2021. While there have been improvements, COVID-19 is still being actively transmitted in our area. We need to continue to wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and working towards full vaccination of our community as eligibility expands.
In order to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 throughout Illinois, the State has created a five-phase Restore Illinois Plan as well as a three-tier Resurgence Mitigation Plan. Together, these frameworks are applied regionally and affect how businesses, education, and recreational activities can take place throughout Illinois. The severity of mitigations varies as our region sees better or worse rates of COVID-19 test positivity; hospital ICU bed availability; and COVID-19 related hospital admissions.
For more information about COVID-19 progress:
