Pritzker to Replace on Illinois’ Return to Tourism as State Continues to Reopen – NBC Chicago

Note: The press conference can be followed live in the video player above from around 11 a.m.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will discuss a return to tourism as the state continues to open.

Pritzker will hold a press conference at 11 am at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield to discuss “the safe return of the state to tourism, travel and exploration of Illinois” according to its public schedule.

The update comes as the state prepares to enter the bridging phase of its reopening plan later this week.

Currently in Phase 4, Illinois is well on its way to entering the bridge phase on Friday. A transitional period with increased capacity limits begins before it is fully reopened in the final phase 5.

The bridge phase enables higher capacity limits in places such as museums, zoos, spectator events and much more.

What will change between phase 4 and the bridging phase? Here is a breakdown by category:

• eat
  • Stage 4: Seating Areas: Patrons ≥ 6 feet apart; Parties ≤ 10, standing room: 25% capacity
    • In Chicago: Inside: 50% capacity with no more than 100 people per room; Table size ≤ 6, outdoor: 6 feet between the parties; Table size ≤ 10
  • Bridge Phase: Seating Areas: Patrons ≥ 6 feet apart; Parties ≤ 10, standing room: 30% indoor capacity; 50% capacity outdoors
    • In Chicago: 75% capacity with at least 6 feet between parties; Table size ≤ 10; Seats at bars / counters limited to 6 per party indoors and outdoors, standing room limited to 25% capacity
• health and fitness
  • Stage 4: 50% capacity, group fitness classes of 50 or less indoors or 100 or less outdoors
  • Bridge Phase: 60% capacity, group fitness classes of 50 or less indoors or 100 or less outdoors
• offices
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• personal hygiene
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• Retail and service counters
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• Amusement parks
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• Festivals and general outdoor spectator events
  • Phase 4: 15 people per 1,000 m²
  • Bridge phase: 30 people per 1,000 m²
• Flea markets and farmers markets
  • Stage 4: 25% capacity, or 15 people per 1,000 square feet.
  • Bridge phase: Inside: 15 people per 1,000 square feet, Outside: 30 people per 1,000 square feet.
• Film production
  • Phase 4: 50% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• Meetings, Conferences and Meetings
  • Phase 4: Venue with a capacity of <200 people: Less than 50 people or 50% capacity *, Venue with a capacity of ≥ 200 people: Less with 250 people or 25% capacity
  • Bridge phase: Less than 1,000 people or 60% capacity
• Museums
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• recreation
  • Phase 4: Inside: Less than 50 people or 50% capacity, Outside: Maximum groups of 50 people; multiple groups allowed
  • Bridge phase: Inside: Less than 100 people or 50% capacity, Outside: Maximum groups of 100 people; multiple groups allowed
• Social events
  • Phase 4: Inside: Less than 50 people or 50% capacity, Outside: Less than 100 people or 50% capacity
  • Bridge phase: inside: 250 people, outside: 500 people
• Spectator events (ticket and seat)
  • Phase 4: Indoor venue with a capacity of <200 people: Less than 50 people or 50% capacity, outdoor venue or indoor venue with a capacity of ≥ 200 people: 25% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• Theater and performing arts
  • Phase 4: Indoor venue with a capacity of <200 people: Lower capacity of 50 or 50%, outdoor venue or indoor venue with a capacity of ≥ 200 people: 25% capacity
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity
• Zoos
  • Phase 4: 25% capacity, less than 50 or 50% for indoor exhibitions
  • Bridge phase: 60% capacity

Illinois is expected to fully reopen on June 11th and enter Phase 5 of its COVID reopening plan “unless there are significant reversals in our key statewide COVID-19 indicators,” Pritzker said last week.

In Phase 5, all sectors of the economy would reopen fully and no capacity restrictions would apply, although Pritzker noted that the state will continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mask guidelines.

“This good news comes with a caveat. We have all seen during this pandemic that this virus and its variants have proven to be unpredictable,” said Pritzker. “Metrics that look strong today aren’t a guarantee of how things will look in a week, two weeks, or a month. We saw that last August and again in March.”