IDPH announces new COVID-19 restrictions in Will, Kankakee counties

State officials announced new restrictions on Will and Kankakee counties starting Wednesday to try to reverse the trend of an increasing COVID-19 test positivity rate for the region.

The South Suburban region has seen three days of a test positivity rate at or above 8%, which is a threshold for new restrictions, according to a news release.

Last Wednesday, the region's positivity rate, as a seven-day rolling average, was 8%. The region then reached an 8.3% positivity rate for last Thursday and Friday, according to IDPH data.

Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health announced the specific restrictions for the region:

Bars

• No indoor service

• All outside bar service closes at 11:00 p.m.

• All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside

• No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)

• Tables should be 6 feet apart

• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting

• No dancing or standing indoors

• Reservations required for each party

• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Restaurants 

• No indoor dining or bar service

• All outdoor dining closes at 11:00 p.m.

• Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart

• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting

• Reservations required for each party

• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Meetings, social events, gatherings 

• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity

• No party buses

• Gaming and casinos close at 11:00pm, are limited to 25% capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable

These mitigations do not apply to schools and will remain in effect over a 14-day period after which more stringent measures will be implemented if the region's COVID-19 metrics do not improve.

The region will need to get under 6.5% positivity over a 14-day period in order to return to the current Phase 4 under which much of the rest of the state is operating. If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8% after 14 days, more restrictions will be applied.

The state has listed Will County at "warning level" for the last two weeks for its high level of new COVID-19 cases and, as of last Friday, for its increasing number of deaths due to COVID-19.

The Metro East region — Madison, St. Clair, Monroe, Randolph, Clinton, Washington and Bond counties — was the first of the state's health regions to move backwards and face more restrictions.