The State of Illinois announced that Region 8, which includes Wheaton, has met the metrics necessary to move to Tier 1 Covid-19 Mitigations. These changes lower some restrictions on indoor dining, organized group recreational activities and meetings/social events.
Specifically, the Tier 1 Mitigations have the following restrictions:
Restaurants and Bars
- Indoor service limited to the lesser of 25 guests or 25% capacity per room
- Establishments offering indoor service must serve food
- All bar and restaurant patrons should be seated at tables
- No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
- Tables should be 6 feet apart
- No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
Organized Group Recreational Activities (fitness centers, sports, etc.)
- Sports should follow the mitigation measures set forth in the All Sports Policy, which outlines appropriate levels of practice and competition based on individual sport risk
- Face coverings must be worn at all times in fitness centers, including while engaged in individual exercise regardless of person or machine spacing
- Recreation, fitness centers and outdoor activities (not included in the above exposure settings) follow Phase 4 guidance
Meetings and Social Events (including weddings, funerals, potlucks, etc.)
- Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity both indoors and outdoors
- Applicable to professional, cultural and social group gatherings.
- Not applicable to students participating in-person classroom learning, or sports.
- This does not reduce the overall facility capacity dictated by general Phase 4 business guidance such as office, personal care, retail, etc.
IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increased measures.
The City of Wheaton encourages all residents to continue to take steps necessary to protect one another from the spread of Covid-19, including wearing a mask when around others outside your household, keeping your distance of 6 feet or more from others, and frequently washing your hands.
Vaccine Information
DuPage County Health Department is the local source for information regarding vaccinations, and the City encourages all residents to register for updates through their weekly update signup form. This signup also allows the DuPage County Health Department to let you know when you are eligible for the vaccine. In the signup process, the form asks for your contact information plus other information to help them identify the vaccination phase in which you qualify. Please note that you will not receive an immediate response; you will be notified when you are eligible for receiving a vaccine. Vaccines are being provided through local medical providers, including doctors’ offices, and many other sites are being added, such as local pharmacies.
The first vaccines distributed in Illinois, starting in December, were for Phase 1A, consisting of health care personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. On Jan. 25, Illinois began inviting individuals in its Phase 1B: people age 65 and older, plus non-healthcare frontline essential workers who are unable to work from home and/or they must work closely to others without being able to socially distance. This includes first responders and many who work in education, food and agriculture, manufacturing, corrections workers and inmates, USPS workers, public transit workers, grocery store workers, and staff at shelters and day cares.
The Health Department estimates it may take approximately 12 weeks to vaccinate the nearly 270,000 individuals in DuPage County who meet Phase 1B criteria. Continue to follow the DuPage County Health Department for information, as they are regularly adding information to the Covid-19 section of their website.