The Cook County Department of Public Health is seeing increased COVID-19 cases in suburban Cook County, especially amongst young adults in their 20s. Cases in this age group are 2.5x higher than they were in March and are now the group with the highest infection rates.
Based on Restore Illinois metrics, suburban Cook County saw an 8-day increase in COVID-19 positivity rates and a 2-day increase in hospital admissions. These numbers indicate a need for greater mitigation efforts to reverse this uptick.
The new guidance includes:
Bars, taverns, and breweries are being asked to only have outdoor service
Groups at restaurants and bars should be limited to 6 people either inside or outside
Indoor fitness classes should be limited to 10 people
Salons and spas should stop offering services that require customers to take off face masks (ex. shaves, facials)
Residential property managers should limit guests to 6 people for gatherings and parties
Businesses should institute remote work for high-risk individuals and continue to support telework for as many workers as possible
Retail stores should keep their capacity to 50%