Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Public Health ( CDPH ) and the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection ( BACP ) announced a re-tightening of COVID-19 restrictions for bars, restaurants, gyms and personal services as a precautionary move in response to a recent increase in community cases of the virus.
The reinstatement of certain restrictions will go into effect Friday, July 24, at 12:01 a.m., in order to allow businesses time to prepare. Restrictions will include:
—Bars, taverns, breweries and other establishments that serve alcohol for on-site consumption without a retail food license will no longer be able to serve customers indoors.
—Maximum party size and table occupancy at restaurants, bars, taverns and breweries will be reduced to six people.
—Indoor fitness class size will be reduced to a maximum of 10 people.
—Personal services requiring the removal of face coverings will no longer be permitted ( shaves, facials, etc. ).
—Residential property managers will be asked to limit guest entry to five per unit to avoid indoor gatherings and parties.
As CDPH recently announced, the city is back in a high-incidence state under Centers for Disease Control guidelines after topping 200 cases per day on a 7-day rolling average. That increase has been driven in part by rising cases among young people 18-29 years old as the city has seen more social activity and interactions in bars, restaurants, parks and the lakefront. Chicago has also seen an increase in its percent positivity rate—the percentage of people tested who are positive for COVID-19—after weeks of decline.
To prepare all business owners for the new guidance, the BACP will be hosting a series of webinars this week. See Chicago.gov/businessworkshops .
