Chicago suburbs can repair indoor eateries ‘within a matter of days’

‘It’s not the news restaurant bar owners wanted to hear, but a suburban doctor from the Cook County Department of Public Health told reporters over the weekend that the increase in COVID-19 numbers could lead to a tightening’ a few days. ‘Dr. Rachel Rubin, who helps coordinate how the suburbs responded to the pandemic, reflected the warnings city officials made last week. Her comments come during a news conference on Saturday.

This is the third time that indoor meals have been discontinued for the suburbs since March 2020. There is also cause for concern in the city with Chicago and COVID-19’s eating rules in the suburban reflection. The percentage of COVID-19 cases has not been as high in Chicago and the suburbs since mid-October. Officials would stop the indoor dining room on Oct. 30 and dining rooms would remain closed until Jan. 23. The current regulations for Chicago and the suburbs allow restaurants to serve a maximum of 50 per room (or 50 percent capacity; whichever is lower). People who are fully vaccinated do not count against it.

Last week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot invited restaurant and bar owners to a special meeting (property managers were also present) where she called for greater vigilance. The city has warned that they are ordering more inspections from restaurants looking for violators of the COVID-19 rule. Lightfoot wants restaurant owners to make sure customers wear the rules of mask and adhere to social distance. Spring sunshine, and more availability of vaccines, has brought more boarders away from their homes.

Outbreaks have been reported. During the special virtual gathering last week, health officials said 14 people who gathered at a private event and then went on a bar crawl contracted the disease. Now, according to the Tribune, comes news that 46 cases are linked to a bar’s event in February in rural Illinois. The state health department did not share the bar’s name or exact location. A school with a 650-student enrollment had to be forced to close due to the opportunity.

As the numbers rise, health officials were concerned about the events of Easter weekend and the start of the Major League Baseball season. Wrigleyville pubs welcomed Chicago Cubs fans again for the first home series of the weekend. The city allowed ticket holders to fill Wrigley Field with 25 percent of the stadium’s capacity or 10,343. Many Lakeview residents dread the Cubs games with greater traffic in the area, but it’s still a boon for bar and restaurant owners. At a lower capacity, hunting was not a big problem over the weekend.

Across the self-enforcement corner, restaurants have heard from customers claiming to have an existing health condition (such as lung disease) that releases them from wearing a mask. To many workers, the argument seems to be more anti-mask than about an individual’s health. Restaurants and retailers can avoid legal challenges by offering reasonable accommodation to “hide intolerance” by offering services in progress or delivery, according to the National Law Review.

Eating tips

As an answer – whether it’s actually used in restaurants or just a joke – a message is shared on social media showing laminated badges stating: “I am exempt from any regulation requiring interaction from individuals who do not have a mask does not wear. ” Workers feel they need something to show that dishonest residences are trying to evade COVID-19 safety protocols.

After all, the blame is not entirely on customers. Customers told Eater Chicago of scenes this past weekend in Lakeview pubs where bartenders and bouncers refused to wear masks as required. In some cases, workers at tables they disliked opted for tables and threatened to use face masks or be thrown out of the bar. Other customers were left alone. Enforcement, for whatever reason, was not uniform.

• Restrictions on COVID-19, including a ban on an indoor dining room, could ‘quite possibly’ return to suburban Cook County soon, the health official said. [Tribune]
• Cook County COVID-19 Dashboard [Cook County Public Health Department]
• Event at a rural pub in Illinois led to 46 cases of COVID-19 and school closure in February, CDC says [Tribune]
• A few notes on the 10,343 who paid to see the Cubs Opening Day game [Bleed Cubbie Blue]
• Mask releases during the COVID-19 pandemic – a new frontier for clinicians [JAMA]
• No mask, no service? ADA Considerations for Business Owners Who Need Face Masks in Retail Stores [National Law Review]