Expanded Reopening Plan and Vaccine Eligibility

The Illinois Restaurant Association continues to engage with local, state, and federal officials to help employers and employees address concerns about COVID-19.

Please see the below resources and information for your business - updated as of 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 18.

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Governor Pritzker Announces Expanded Reopening Plan and Vaccine Eligibility

This morning, Governor Pritzker held a press conference announcing an expanded reopening plan for Illinois. The state will move forward with a dial-like approach between the mitigations in Phase 4, which currently applies to the entire state, and Phase 5. The newly announced metrics offer Illinois a bridge between the state’s current Phase 4 restrictions and the “new normal” operations of Phase 5. This “Bridge Phase” will serve as a transition period with higher capacity limits and increased business operations, while Illinoisians are being vaccinated. The state’s mask mandate will continue in accordance with current CDC guidance.

"These are important steps in the right direction to reopening and recovery. The IRA has been urging the Governor to set a path to allow for some larger events with extensive safety measures in place in order to support tourism, conventions, and culinary tourism that are so important to Illinois" said Sam Toia, IRA President & CEO. "We appreciate the state laying out some pragmatic approaches to loosen restrictions before we get to Phase 5." 

A summary of Phase 4A modifications, that take effect immediately, and the Bridge Phase (4B) for the hospitality industry are outlined below and the full Bridge Phase is attached here.

It is important to note that in an update to current Phase 4 mitigations, individuals with proof of full vaccination — defined as 14 days after receiving a final vaccine dose — or a negative COVID-19 test 1-3 days prior to an event do not count against capacity limits.

Once 70% of residents 65 and older statewide have received their first dose of the vaccine and no increase in COVID-19 metrics is recorded, the state could move into the new Bridge Phase (4B). The State has currently vaccinated 58% of this population and is vaccinating roughly 1% per day. Therefore, movement to the Bridge Phase 4B could happen in approximately two (2) weeks.

Once 50% of residents 16 and older have received their first dose of the vaccine and no increase in COVID-19 metrics is recorded, the state could move into Phase 5, hopefully as early as June.

Please note that City of Chicago officials are digesting the State's expanding reopening plan and will issue new guidance for Chicago by early next week. Until Chicago's modified reopening guidance is announced, current restrictions remain in place.

Additionally today, Governor Pritzker also announced expanded vaccine eligibility. As of April 12, anyone 16 or older is eligible to be vaccinated.

As you all are aware, the IRA has been advocating for vaccine prioritization for the hospitality industry and will continue to push for vaccine access for restaurant workers before April 12.

Read the full press release here.

Read more:

• Chicago Tribune - Pritzker unveils revamped reopening plan, expands COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to residents 16 and up on April 12; Chicago will still set its own rules

• NBC Chicago - Pritzker Announces New ‘Bridge Phase' Aimed at Getting Illinois to Phase 5

• Chicago Tribune - Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Gov. Pritzker sets COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expansion date, unveils reopening plans and eases some capacity restrictions; 2,325 new cases, 34 additional deaths reported

• NBC Chicago - Here's What Will Change When Illinois Enters New Bridge Phase