ILLINOIS MOVING TO “PHASE 4” JUST IN TIME FOR START OF FOURTH OF JULY

Governor says all regions of the state will be allowed to re-open, must still practice COVID-19 precautions

Life is slowly going back to normal as businesses all across Illinois are preparing to enter “Phase 4” of the controversial Restore Illinois Plan implemented by Gov. J.B Pritzker. Phase 4 will allow certain non-essential businesses to finally re-open, as well as raise the capacity of gatherings to 50 people or less. Most importantly, Phase 4 will allow grade schools to resume in-person education, assuming the school districts outline a comprehensive plan to ensure the necessary safety precautions required to protect faculty, staff and students.

According to the report, all communities within Illinois are “on track to move to Phase 4,” but face-coverings, social distancing and other preventive measures will still be required. Businesses and locations that cannot meet the requirements will still be subject to mandatory closures and restrictions. Another aspect of Phase 4 is that it allows restaurants, clubs and other locations to resume indoor seating and service (albeit, with limited capacity).

One notable drawback to the controversial plan is that Illinois casinos are still not allowed to resume operations. This is noticeably problematic for the community of Joliet, home to two profitable casinos, which is losing millions of dollars in tax revenue due to the closed casinos.

“We are hopeful that the Governor eases the restrictions on the casinos and allows them an opportunity to resume business,” Joliet Mayor Bob O’Dekirk said in a statement, “I think most Joliet residents share the excitement and are happy to take the next step forward, but I still would urge our residents to be mindful of the restrictions still in place.”

Although Illinois is moving into Phase 4 just in time for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, many communities are still planning on cancelling or limiting their annual fireworks celebrations. Local health officials urge members of the community to not congregate in large crowds for an extended period of time, noting “the virus is still out there and you can still get sick.”