City Releases Roadmap for Easing of COVID-19 Regulations

Today, Wednesday, February 10, the City of Chicago announced a roadmap for the continued easing of COVID-19 regulations, particularly as they relate to indoor dining. Under this plan, indoor capacity at bars, restaurants and events can increase to the lesser of 25% or 50 people per room or floor beginning tomorrow, February 11. All other regulations specified in the most recent phase change for bars, restaurants and events remain in place. The easing of additional regulations will be possible once we meet specific metrics as outlined below.

In order to help businesses navigate this framework for expanding capacity, BACP will be holding a webinar tomorrow, February 11, at 1:00 p.m. Register and learn more at chicago.gov/businesseducation.

Under the plan released today, now that Chicago has made enough progress to move out of state-imposed Tier 1 Mitigation Measures, the Chicago Department of Public Health has identified four metrics that are being used locally to determine the process for continuing to ease COVID-19 regulations. Those metrics are as follows, with the goal of reaching at least the "Moderate-Risk" level in each metric before we can move to continue loosening restrictions:

  • COVID cases diagnosed per day: currently averaging 466, in the “High-Risk” level. This number must be below 400 new cases per day to reach the “Moderate-Risk” level.

  • COVID test positivity: currently averaging 4.7%, in the “Lower-Risk” level.

  • Emergency Departments visits for COVID-like illness: currently averaging 69 per day, in the “Moderate-Risk” level.

  • ICU beds occupied by COVID patients: currently averaging 148, in the “Moderate-Risk” level.

Indoor dining capacity will be able to increase to 40% when Chicago reaches “Moderate-Risk” or better in all four of the categories listed above for at least three straight days. The easing of other COVID-19 regulations will be considered at that point as well. Assuming that the other metrics continue to improve or hold steady, this will be possible once Chicago reaches fewer than 400 COVID-19 cases per day, based on the seven-day rolling average, for at least three straight days. Currently, Chicago is averaging 466 new cases per day, down from 607 one week ago.

In order to track the data, visit the “Reopening Metrics” page at chicago.gov/COVID or the City's COVID Dashboard at chi.gov/coviddash.

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