As with all mitigations the administration has implemented to combat the virus to date, the Bridge Phase is based on science and was developed by health experts. The bridge to Phase 5 allows for higher capacity limits at places like museums, zoos and spectator events as well as increased business operations. 'This measured approach to reopening under Governor Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan will help support a sustained economic recovery for our businesses and communities.'Īs Illinois moves towards our new normal, the administration is outlining clear metrics that will allow the state to continue progressing in the battle against COVID-19 without sacrificing the gains made over the last twelve months. 'We are proud to have worked alongside IDPH and our industry partners to craft guidelines that will allow a safe return for some of the biggest economic drivers in our state,' said Sylvia Garcia, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). We don't want to move too quickly and risk a significant reversal of our progress.' 'Rather than flipping a switch and saying we're now in Phase 5, we're looking at it more like a dial - dialing back some of the capacity restrictions that helped reduce transmission, and ultimately the number of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. 'We want and need to move forward, but we must be measured and cautious in the approach,' said IDPH Director Dr. Step by step, we can get out of this the same we came into it - together.' I invite all Illinoisans to join me in wearing your mask and getting vaccinated when it's your turn. With projections from the Biden Administration indicating that weekly vaccine deliveries to Illinois will surpass one million doses in April, it is fully in our power to turn the page on this dark and devastating chapter even as we race a tough clock: the new variants. 'It's time to begin to cautiously move toward normalcy, and it's imperative that we do so in a way that maintains all the progress we've made to date. 'COVID-19 has not gone away, but the light we can see at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter as more people get vaccinated,' said Governor JB Pritzker. The state's mask mandate will continue in accordance with current CDC guidance. All regions of the state will move through the Bridge Phase and ultimately to Phase 5, together.

This 'Bridge Phase' will serve as a transition period with higher capacity limits and increased business operations, without prematurely embracing a reckless reopening before the majority of Illinoisans have been vaccinated. The newly announced metrics offer Illinois a bridge between the state's current Phase 4 restrictions and the 'new normal' operations of Phase 5. In recognition of an increasing national vaccine supply and the state now averaging 100,000 vaccine administrations per day, Governor Pritzker also announced that all Illinois residents age 16+ will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 12th, with additional announcements to come about populations who will be made eligible prior to universal eligibility.Ĭurrently, every region of the state is in Phase 4 of the five-phase Restore Illinois mitigation plan, with Phase 5 comprising a post-pandemic normalcy as detailed here. Ngozi Ezike today announced a metrics-based, vaccination-informed framework for Illinois to advance to Phase 5 of the state's Restore Illinois Plan, our new normal. CHICAGO- Governor Pritzker and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr.

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