49 Illinois residents were reported dead from COVID-19 during the past day, but new cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations have declined in recent weeks. For the first time in weeks, Chicago has reported an average of fewer than 400 new cases Thursday. This means the city is now only considered “high risk” instead of “very high risk.”
The state and city officially moved into the Bridge Phrase on Friday, easing some business restrictions. City officials are reviewing best practices for opening the city with a hope for full reopening in Mid-June.
Some of the rule changes under the Bridge Phase:
- Bars and restaurants: Can now operate within their regular liquor license hours and reopen standing areas at 25 percent capacity.
- Social events: Indoor events can have up to 250 people, and outdoor events can have up to 500 people.
- Spectator events: 60 percent capacity.
- Amusement parks: Can increase capacity to 60 percent, up from 25 percent during Phase 4.
- Festivals and general admission outdoor spectator events: 30 people per 1,000 square feet. It was 15 people per 1,000 square feet during Phase 4.
- Meetings, conferences and conventions: Lesser of 1,000 people or 60 percent capacity.
Read the full rules under the Bridge Phrase here.
Officials are rushing to vaccinate as many people as possible in Chicago and across the state, as vaccines have been shown to greatly reduce the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. But vaccine demand has fallen sharply.
There may be a recorded increase in vaccinations now that everyone 12 and older is eligible to get the shots in Illinois, though. City, county, and state-run sites are administering the COVID-19 shots to people in that age group.
The majority of Chicagoans and Illinoisans are not fully vaccinated, though: Only about 4.7 million people, or 36.81 percent of the state’s 12.7 million people, have received all of their COVID-19 vaccination shots.
Officials are looking at ways to make it easier to get the shots and ease people’s concerns.
The state is helping community groups host vaccine events. Health departments are bringing vaccinations to workplaces, including Downtown office buildings. The city has said it’ll bring vaccine vans to festivals and other events.