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Alderman Reilly’s COVID-19 Update: City to Reinstate Targeted COVID-19 Restrictions to Help Combat Recent Rise in Community Cases – Reilly Reports 7\/20\/2020<\/strong><\/p>\n Today,\u00a0Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of\u00a0Public Health (CDPH) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) announced\u00a0a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions for bars, restaurants, gyms and\u00a0personal services as a precautionary move in response to a recent increase in community cases of the virus. Throughout the pandemic, data has guided every move made by the\u00a0City, and the recent uptick in cases as well as surging COVID-19 activity in other states around the country is cause for concern and motivated this move to dial back reopening in\u00a0certain high-risk environments.<\/p>\n The reinstatement of\u00a0certain restrictions will go into effect Friday, July 24 at 12:01 a.m., in order to allow businesses time to prepare. Restrictions will include:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n As CDPH recently announced, the city is back in a high-incidence state under Centers for Disease Control guidelines after topping 200 cases per day on a 7-day rolling average. As of\u00a0Sunday, July 19, that number was 233. That increase has been driven in part by rising cases among young people 18-29 years old as the city has seen more social activity and\u00a0interactions in bars, restaurants, parks and the lakefront. Chicago has also seen an increase in its percent positivity rate – the percentage of people tested who are positive for\u00a0COVID-19 – after weeks of decline.<\/p>\n To prepare all business owners for the new guidance, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection will be hosting a series of webinars this week. On July 21, BACP\u00a0will hold a webinar for all business types to provide an overview of the new changes at 2:00 p.m., followed by a session just for restaurants and bars at 4:00 p.m. Sessions for health\u00a0and fitness centers and personal services will be held later in the week. To register and learn more, visit\u00a0chicago.gov\/businessworkshops<\/a>.<\/p>\n While people are encouraged to create a bubble of not more than 10 people that they have close contact with, they need to do so smartly and avoid “bubble trouble.” If a member\u00a0of your bubble is not following guidance, they are putting you and others at risk.<\/p>\n This recent uptick in cases locally comes as other parts of the country are seeing a surge in new cases and the country overall is setting new highs for daily COVID-19 cases. Because\u00a0of this, officials in Chicago decided to act quickly. Earlier this month, Dr.\u00a0Arwady\u00a0issued an emergency travel health order requiring travelers from states where cases are surging to\u00a0quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in the city, including Chicago residents returning from these states. The updated list of states and information about exemptions to the order can\u00a0be found\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Throughout the pandemic, individuals who are infected with COVID-19 or have come into contact with someone who is, have been advised to quarantine. Quarantine helps prevent\u00a0the spread of disease before a person knows they are sick, including if a traveler has been infected with the virus but does not have symptoms.<\/p>\n\u2022 Bars, taverns, breweries and other establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption without a Retail Food license will no longer be able to serve customers indoors.<\/div>\n\u2022 Restaurants that serve alcohol will be allowed to continue to operate as long as they abide by ongoing COVID-19 guidance and existing regulations.<\/div>\n\u2022 Establishments without food may still provide outdoor service as they did under phase three.<\/div>\n\u2022 Maximum party size and table occupancy at restaurants, bars, taverns and breweries will be reduced to six people.<\/div>\n\u2022 Indoor fitness class size will be reduced to a maximum of 10 people.<\/div>\n\u2022 Personal services requiring the removal of face coverings will no longer be permitted (shaves, facials, etc.).<\/div>\n\u2022 Residential property managers will be asked to limit guest entry to five per unit to avoid indoor gatherings and parties.<\/div>\n