Region 6 Returns To Phase 4 Of The Restore Plan

The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced Region 6 (Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Richland, Shelby, Vermillion) is returning to Phase 4 of the Restore Plan.

This means all bars and restaurants can open for indoor dining with requirements as well as movie theatres, zoos and museums can reopen.

Phase 4 also allows for expanded gathering sizes, increasing the limit from ten to 50 people or fewer.

“I am excited that 10 out of our 11 regions have moved out of Tier 3 mitigations,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “However, this does not mean we can let our guard down. We must continue to practice actions to protect ourselves from the virus – wear our masks, avoid large gatherings, and get the vaccine when it is our turn.

“This is particularly critical as new variants circulate, which early studies show spread much more rapidly. We are headed in the right direction once again, so let’s stay the course.”

IDPH says it will still closely monitor test positivity rates, intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increase measures.

Metrics for moving from a higher to lower tier are as follows:

Moving from Tier 3 to Tier 2:

• Test positivity rate = 8% and below 12% for three consecutive days (7-day average)
• Staffed ICU bed availability = 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average)
• Sustained decline in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)

Moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1

• Test positivity rate between 6.5% and 8% for three consecutive days (7-day average)
• Staffed ICU bed availability = 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average)
• No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)

Moving from Tier 1 to Phase 4

• Test positivity rate = 6.5% for three consecutive days (7-day average)
• Staffed ICU bed availability = 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average)
• No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days)

 

The release says that in Phase 4, there is a continued decline in the rate of infection. It adds hospitals have capacity and can quickly adapt to a surge of new cases in their communities. Additionally, schools and child care programs can reopen with social distancing policies in place.