Illinois and the City of Chicago entered Phase 4: Gradually Resume on Friday, June 26.
Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, in partnership with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), industry leaders, labor leaders, and public officials from around Chicago, released industry-specific guidelines for businesses, employees, and customers to follow as the city begins to safely reopen in June.
As of Friday, October 30, at 12:01am, additional regulations are in effect until further notice.
- No indoor dining or service at bars or restaurants
- Outdoor dining/drinking is still allowed, including at locations with retractable roofs and tables within eight feet of a wall that is at least 50% open
- Meetings and events limited to 25 guests or 25% capacity, whichever is fewer (both indoors and outdoors)
- This capacity limit applies to events (e.g., banquet halls, weddings, birthday parties, business dinners/social events, private outdoor gatherings like a potluck)
- Other businesses, such as fitness clubs, personal services, retail stores, movie theaters, indoor recreation facilities and performance venues can still operate under existing guidelines, typically at 40% capacity or 50 people, whichever is fewer.
To learn more about the new State-imposed mitigation measures, click here for an overview and here for an FAQ from the State of Illinois. View the official health order from the Chicago Department of Public Health.
In addition, the City of Chicago has revised its Emergency Travel Order, which requires travelers to quarantine for a 14-day period when arriving to Chicago from several states and territories. The changes to the order break states and territories into three categories — Yellow, Orange and Red — based on their severity of COVID-19.
This includes both Chicago residents returning from travel to a designated state, and travelers arriving in Chicago from a designated state. The list is updated weekly.
After receiving over 600 submissions for a Winter dining competition, a team of judges that included architects, designers, chefs, restauranteurs and servers selected three ideas that not only capture the spirit of Chicago but can provide feasible and safe options for Chicagoans to enjoy dining out as temperatures drop.
Restore Illinois is a five-phased plan to reopen our state, guided by health metrics and with distinct business, education, and recreation activities characterizing each phase.
This is an initial framework that will likely be updated as research and science develop and as the potential for treatments or vaccines is realized.
After weeks of data and trend analysis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) released updated guidelines at the Individual, Family, and Multi-Family Residence levels to ensure they are doing all that we can to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms can now get tested in Illinois.
The state will post a full list of test sites to it's COVID-19 response page.
Due to the recently CARES Act, your business may be eligible for aid from the federal government.
Review your eligibility with resources from the U.S. Travel Association.
Here are additional resources from our city and state partners:
- The City of Chicago has begun accepting application for the $10 million Chicago Hospitality Grant Program. Announced by Mayor Lightfoot as part of an emergency hospitality relief package, this program will provide grants of $10,000 each to Chicago bars and restaurants that have been greatly impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
- Governor Pritzker started the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund to support nonprofits and other groups that work with "those hit hardest by COVID-19," providing emergency food and basic supplies, interim housing, health care services, assisting with utility costs and supporting children and families.
- Governor Pritzker is directing healthy citizens to a state website to match their skills with organizations that work with the homeless or seniors, or deliver meals.
