With COVID-19 cases in decline and stabilizing hospitalization numbers, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has said that Illinois businesses could fully reopen by June 11, and he plans for the state to enter a “bridge” phase toward that full reopening on Friday.
State Sen. John Curran (R-Lemont) was among those who greeted the news from Pritzker with enthusiasm, posting his feelings to social media.
“This is great news!” Curran said in a post to his official Facebook page,
According to a Daily Herald article that Curran linked to in his post, Pritzker said that the potential targeted reopening could be delayed if coronavirus cases rebound or hospitalizations increase. Pritzker said that the virus and its phases have been unpredictable throughout the pandemic and that current numbers cannot be treated as a predictor of what will happen in the near future.
During the bridge phase, some of the changes include permitting restaurants to go from 25% capacity to 30% capacity indoors and 50% capacity outdoors, the Daily Herald Reported. Additionally, facilities such as gyms and personal care businesses will be permitted to go from 50% capacity to 60%.
According to the Daily Herald, personal gatherings, such as weddings, will be permitted to have up to 250 participants and guests, compared to the previous 50, and outdoor events can have up to 500 people. However, once the state moves into the final phase of reopening, all number restrictions will be lifted.
Pritzker’s statement accompanied plans to provide primary care physicians and other general practitioners with access to vaccines, the Daily Herald Reported. He said the expectation is that anyone still hesitant to receive a vaccine may be more likely to get it if they know the person administering it.
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