Monday, Oct. 26, 2020   |   View in browser

State to implement additional COVID-19 mitigation measures in suburban Cook County, Evanston

Indoor service to be suspended at bars and restaurants; gatherings limited to 25 people or fewer

EVANSTON, IL - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has announced new COVID-19 resurgence mitigations in suburban Cook County (Region 10), including Evanston, effective 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28.

Suburban Cook County has had eight consecutive days of increases in test positivity and seven days of increased hospital admissions. The sustained increases exceeds the thresholds set for establishing mitigation measures under the state’s Restore Illinois Resurgence Plan.

“We are seeing test positivity across the state increase, but for Region 10, Suburban Cook County, we are also seeing a steady increase in hospitalizations for COVID-like illness,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we were concerned about overwhelming our hospitals and we must take action now to prevent that possibility. We are entering flu season and our hospitals are facing both COVID-19 and flu admissions. The same things that can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 will help prevent the spread of flu. Please, wash your hands, watch your distance, and wear your mask. And make sure to get your flu shot.”

Mitigation measures taking effect October 28 in Region 10 include: 

Bars and restaurants

• No indoor service 
• All outdoor bar and dining service closes at 11 p.m. 
• All patrons should be seated at tables outside 
• Tables should be at least six feet apart  
• No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)  
• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting 
• No dancing or standing indoors 
• Reservations required for each party 
• No seating of multiple parties at one table 

Meetings, social events and gatherings 

• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity
• No party buses 
• Gaming and casinos close at 11 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable 

These mitigations do not currently apply to schools. At this time, there is no change to IDPH guidance for organized group recreational activities, fitness centers and sports.

Evanston’s Health & Human Services Department will be monitoring compliance with the mitigation measures. Residents may call or text 847-448-4311 to report any issues or concerns.

To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, Evanston’s Health & Human Services Department urges residents to continue following public health guidelines, including:

• Maintain a distance of at least six feet from those outside of your household
• Wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in public settings (indoors and outdoors) when social distancing is not practical
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly
• Avoid large gatherings
• Stay home if you’re experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or if you’ve been in close contact with a person infected with COVID-19
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces

In addition, residents are encouraged to get a flu shot to prevent illness from influenza and to preserve scarce medical resources.

In the coming days, IDPH will continue to track the positivity rate in Region 10 to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigations should remain in place. If the positivity rate in Region 10 averages less than or equal to 6.5 percent over a three-day period, there is a decrease in hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness over a three-day period, and the three-day rolling averages of ICU bed availability and medical/surgical bed availability is greater than or equal to 20 percent over a seven-day period, the region will return to Phase 4 mitigations under the Restore Illinois Plan. 

Conversely, if the average positivity rate continues to increase over seven out of 10 days and the hospital admissions for COVID-19-like illness continues to increase over seven out of 10 days, more stringent mitigations may be applied. If the metrics remain stable, the region will continue to be monitored.

A full list of mitigation measures pertaining to some businesses and industries may be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website at dceocovid19resources.com/restore-illinois.

For Evanston-specific COVID-19 information, visit cityofevanston.org/covid19 or call/text 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 311 in Evanston.

-END-