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It was a day of celebration in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, as indoor dining was allowed to resume under the provisions of Illinois level 1 coronavirus mitigation measures.
“I feel good,” Samuel Ross, who visited a local restaurant after the announcement was made on Saturday. “It feels good to have beers on tap, just the freshness of the draft beer got me out today.
Ross was one of many patrons who spent their Saturday afternoons at the Haymarket Brewery in Chicago’s West Loop.
Under Tier 1 mitigation conditions, bars and restaurants can open up to 25% capacity, with reservations required for groups of four or fewer per table. These establishments can be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.
While many places have welcomed the news of the reopening, not everyone is ready to welcome patrons back to the interior spaces, including Off-Color Brewing in Lincoln Park.
“Everyone has their own tolerance for risk and things that mean something to them and their business,” said owner John Laffler. “For us with the vaccine not quite here, but imminent, it’s beyond our risk tolerance to start bringing people inside.”
For restaurants and bars to transition to Phase 4 restrictions, the positivity rate must be 6.5% or less for three consecutive days, the availability of ICU beds must remain above 20% for three consecutive days, and hospitalizations must remain stable or decrease, for seven days out of ten.
In Chicago, the positivity rate is currently 7.6% and declining, while the city meets the other criteria to move forward. If the city can enter phase four, the group limits will expand to 10 people or less.
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