Additional COVID-19 restrictions were finally lifted for the region on Friday starting at 5 p.m. However, over the weekend more COVID-19 related deaths have been reported locally.
On Oct. 9, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that Region 4, the Metro East, would be able to return to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan. This announcement came after the region was able to sustain a positivity rate below 6.5 percent for at least three days.
The positivity rate in the Metro East Region (which includes Randolph, Monroe, St. Clair, Bond, Clinton, Madison and Washington Counties) managed to fall from a high of 10.5 percent reported on Aug. 27 to a rate of 5.8 percent reported on Oct. 9.
The additional restrictions which included the closing of indoor dining were implemented back on Sept. 2.
In addition to being able to resume indoor dining, larger gathering sizes as outlined in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan, will now be allowed.
For more COVID updates, please see this week’s print edition.