Chicago COVID 19: Restaurants may soon see a return to dining with potential return to Level 1 mitigations

CHICAGO (WLS) – As Illinois continues to reduce the test positivity rate, indoor catering is finally on the horizon in Chicago.

The city’s public health commissioner hopes that restaurants can reopen this weekend.

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Tables across Chicago remain empty, but some form of indoor dining could be a few days away. Christos Intzempapzakis, general manager of the three Meli Cafe establishments, says it would be a lifeline.

“It would be a very welcome change,” Intzempapzakis said. “It would be something better than what we have so far.”

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As of this weekend, officials say the city could drop to level 1, allowing limited indoor dining …

“We need to be diligent, but I’m optimistic we’ll see indoor dining in restaurants soon,” said Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

As restaurants get creative in the cold and snow to create outdoor seating, some have said that reopening partial indoor dining is long overdue for struggling establishments.

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“Even though they opened yesterday, it is still too late,” Intzempapzakis said. “Some people hang out right there.”

Sam Sanchez, the owner of Moe’s Cantina and Old Crow Smokehouse, thinks the news is positive and believes all restaurants should be able to open immediately to eat indoors with appropriate social distancing.

“We hope there are more than 25 people per restaurant,” Sanchez said. “We hope that the curfew does not end at 10 o’clock in the evening.”

Dr Allison Arwady, the city’s health commissioner, said the number of COVID-19 cases has been steadily declining since January 8.