St. Louis Metro-East is First Region of State to Fall Backward from Phase 4:  This week Governor Pritzker announced new mitigation efforts will be implemented for the St. Louis Metro East area effective immediately.  This area is Region 4 of the state’s revamped Phase 4 plan.  This is the first region of the state now reporting three consecutive days of a positivity rate exceeding 8%, triggering implementation of increased mitigation efforts.  Similar measures could be in store for other regions of the state should these metrics fall behind.

You can see where the various regions are at in terms of their positivity rates, hospitalizations and other metrics at this link.  For Region 4, these mitigation measures will supersede the revamped Restore Illinois Phase 4 guidelines. 

The new mitigation measures were developed in close coordination with local public health administrators and county officials and account for the unique characteristics of the region. These measures will remain in effect over a 14-day period after which, more stringent mitigation measures will be implemented if the region’s positivity rate does not improve.

In addition to face covering, social distancing, and hand washing requirements, for Region 4 these mitigation efforts include the following:

• Meetings, social events, and other gatherings are now limited to the lesser of 25 individuals or 25 percent of overall room capacity
• All bars, restaurants, gaming facilities, and casinos will close at 11 pm, matching the newly imposed closing times for St. Louis
• All reception halls closed
• Party buses not allowed to operate
• Reservations required for each party at restaurants and bars, and no congregating indoors or outdoors
• Indoor tables reduced to six people or less
• No dancing indoors
• Removal of bar stools at bars to help prevent congregating
• Tables should continue to be six feet apart

It should be noted, however, that according to the Illinois Board of Higher Education, these increased mitigation efforts will not include college classrooms.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) will track the positivity rate in Region 4 to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, if additional mitigations are required, or if current mitigation should remain in place. If the positivity rate averages less than or equal to 6.5 percent over a 14-day period, the region will return to Phase 4.  If the positivity rate averages between 6.5 percent and 8 percent, IDPH will continue to monitor the region to determine if additional mitigations are needed. If the positivity rate averages greater than or equal to 8 percent after 14 days, more stringent mitigations will be applied to further reduce spread of the virus, which can include the closure of indoor bars and dining.

A full list of mitigation measures pertaining to some businesses and industries may be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website at DCEO COVID-19 resources

Updated Specific State Information on COVID-19 Orders:  As usual, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) this week has again updated their comprehensive chart detailing state specific orders, re-opening plans, and other restrictions as well as executive orders and legislation relating to business liability.  This chart is attached to this Update.  These figures will be updated and reported here at least once a week.

Update on COVID-19 Cases: IDPH is reporting 211,889 positive cases of COVID-19 in Illinois, an average increase of 1,839 new cases per day since reported here 5 days ago on August 14.  In total, 3,489,571 tests have now been conducted in Illinois for the virus, an average increase of 40,844 tests per day since August 14.  The state’s average positivity rate over all 11 regions is at 4.5%.  Again, you can see where the various regions are at in terms of their positivity rates, hospitalizations and other metrics at this link   

Unfortunately, IDPH is reporting a total of 7,806 deaths, an average increase of 17 per day since August 14.

You can also check where these cases are occurring at the State of Illinois COVID-19 website which also contains more information on this outbreak.

Also, IDPH has a case breakdown of the number of positive cases in Chicago and each county relative to the number of fatalities.  The IDPH website also now includes a breakdown of the cases under each zip code in the state.

For information on other states and countries, John Hopkins University has developed this website that provides invaluable resources at a one-stop location detailing testing and tracing trends, timelines of COVID-19 policies, and interactive maps.

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