(WSIL) -- The average COVID-19 positivity rate in downstate Illinois is 11.5 percent right now. That means Region 5 will roll back into Tier 2 of the state's Restore Illinois plan on Wednesday.
The rollback means and stricter rules for bars and restaurants.
Officials say the new rules won't impact churches at this time. But the state has to places of worship.
“The situation has worsened considerably in certain areas of the state, with massive increases in the rates of community transmission specifically in three regions. As a result, Regions 5, 7 and 8 â€� that’s Southern Illinois, and Chicago’s South and Western Suburbs â€� will join Region 1, Northwestern Illinois, in Tier 2 of our resurgence mitigations starting Wednesday,â€�Ìýsaid Governor JB Pritzker.Ìý“Mitigations are only effective if they are followed.The end goal of mitigating the damage the virus is doing to people’s lives is this: keep as much of our economy and our schools as open as possible in a safe manner, and when risk rates in the community surge up, take meaningful action to bring things back down in order to protect ourselves and the people we love.â€�
These changes come as the state announced 10,573 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease on Monday along with 14 additional deaths.
