Illinois Moves to Phase 4 of Recovery Plan

Illinois residents are now able to exercise at the gym, dine indoors at a restaurant and see a movie at the theater as the state moves further into resuming some semblance of normal living during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday Illinois moved into the fourth phase of the five-part Restore Illinois program in response to the coronavirus.

Bars and restaurants, shut down in mid-March, may return to long-awaited indoor service provided they maintain social distancing, require face coverings and observe other safety protocols. Fitness centers and movie theaters may reopen, schools and day care centers may resume operations. 

The Illinois caseload has dropped continuously since the Democratic governor lifted a 10-week stay-at-home order last month. Daily deaths are down 65% from a high six weeks ago and despite more testing for the virus, new-case detection has dropped 76% in the past seven weeks.

Although bars and restaurants will be open, a popular feature in many of them — video gambling terminals — will remain off-limits until Wednesday. The Illinois Gaming Board announced that the state’s riverboat casinos and video gambling will resume operation on July 1.