Published 3 hours ago •
Updated 1 hour ago
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Illinois will officially be entering the Bridge Phase Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker confirmed, moving the state a step closer toward a full reopening.
The Bridge Phase of the state s COVID-19 reopening plan will allow for higher capacity limits at places like museums, zoos and spectator events as well as increased business operations. Don t miss local breaking news and weather! Download our mobile app for iOS or Android and sign up for alerts.
So what changes between Illinois current Phase 4 and the Bridge Phase? Here s a breakdown by category:
Dining
Phase 4: Seated areas: Patrons ≥ 6 feet apart; parties ≤ 10, Standing areas: 25% capacity
UpdatedThu, May 13, 2021 at 3:01 pm CT
Replies(19) If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday. We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy. (Shutterstock)
ILLINOIS The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance on mask-wearing Thursday to allow fully vaccinated people to go maskless indoors most of the time. A spokesperson for Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he would follow the science and revise Illinois statewide mask mandate to bring it in line with the latest CDC recommendations.
COVID-19 In Illinois: State Reports Fewest Coronavirus Hospitalizations In More Than A Month
CBS Chicago 2 hrs ago Syndicated Local – CBS Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) Despite dwindling numbers of people getting vaccinated, the number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois continues to fall, as the state also reported its lowest daily hospitalization total in more than a month.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,918 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases on Thursday, as well as 35 more deaths.
Illinois is averaging 2,047 new cases per day so far this month, a 35% decline from the same time period in April.
Since the start of the pandemic, Illinois has reported a total of 1,361,666 cases, including 22,320 deaths.
1 week ago in Local Photo: Saga Communications
CHICAGO –Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announce the entire state will move into the Bridge Phase of the Restore Illinois reopening plan today. The Bridge Phase is the final step before the full reopening of Phase 5.
Under Bridge Phase, there are expanded capacity limits for businesses, dining, offices, events, conferences and gatherings. Barring any significant reversals in key COVID-19 statewide indicators, including increasing hospitalizations, Illinois could enter Phase 5 as soon as Friday, June 11th.
The state will continue to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on mask-wearing in Phase 5.