Restrictions in place

State imposed mitigations aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 are now in place across Illinois.
Following three days of test positivity rates above 8%, Gov. JB Pritzker announced Sunday that Region 2—the North Central Region that Grundy County is a part of—would enter tier one mitigations today [Wednesday, Nov. 4].
The region’s positivity rate went from 7.9% on Oct. 26 to 9.3% on Oct. 29 with 760 new cases of the virus reported within the region’s 20 counties in a single day.
For the next 14 days, restaurants and bars within the region are to cease indoor service and gathering limits for events such as weddings is limited to 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity—indoors and outdoors—whichever is less.
All restaurants and bars must close at 11 p.m. and reopen no earlier than 6 a.m. the following day.
Outdoor service can continue for bars and restaurants, as well as pickup and delivery services. There is to be no standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for service, outdoor tables should be set at least six feet apart, reservations are required and multiple parties are not to be seated together at tables.
Under tier one mitigations, gaming and casinos close at 11 p.m. and, if applicable, follow the same mitigations as bars and restaurants. And, there are to be no party buses.
The mitigations are in place for 14 days. If the positivity rate average is less than or equal to 6.5% over a three day period the region would return to phase 4 guidelines, if the rate falls between 6.5% and 8% the state would continue to monitor the area and if the rate remains over 8% after 14 days additional mitigations would take effect.
Early in the pandemic, the village of Coal City and a number of other local municipalities put rules in place to allow outdoor dining, the outdoor consumption of alcohol and temporarily amended liquor codes to follow state guidance allowing to-go sales of cocktails.
Some of these rules remain in place to help ease the burden on businesses impacted by the mitigations that are slated to last through Nov. 18.
After four weeks of being in the blue, Grundy County returned to an orange warning level on Oct. 30 as the positivity rate for the reporting period of Oct. 18-24 reached 10%, up from 7.9% a week earlier. Within that time the state reports 208 new cases per 100,000 population were reported with 1,137 tests performed.
In its weekly update, the Grundy County Health Department reported 1,030 persons have tested positive for the virus since the first case was reported in March.
As of Oct. 30, the health department was following 177 people who had tested positive and were in isolation, as well as their close contacts. These contacts are attempted within 24 hours of lab notification.
Michelle Pruim, the county’s public health administrator, reports residents often learn of their lab results before the health department.
“Residents are encouraged to follow isolation and quarantine guidelines even before heating from the health department,” Pruim said.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], persons awaiting test results should isolate and close contacts of positive cases should quarantine for 14 days since the last encounter with a sick individual.
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] the countywide case count had reached 1,125 cases—211 from within the 60416 zip code and 488 from the 60450 zip code.
The state’s COVID-19 data shows Grundy County’s positivity rate was 13.5% as of Oct. 29 with 42 new cases in a single day.
As of Monday, Nov. 2, 14 of the 20 counties in the North Central Region were reporting positivity rates above 8%, some as high as 14.3% and the low for the group was Marshall County at 4.9%.
Regional and county specific data can be monitored on the IDPH website.
Local and state health officials remind residents to wear a face covering in public, maintain acceptable social distance and practice frequent hand washing and sanitizing.
COVID-19 testing is available through local hospital systems and mobile testing units organized by IDPH with locations that can be found by visiting the agency’s website at dph.illinois.gov.