Governor J.B. Pritzker released industry-specific reopening plans for the State of Illinois on Sunday. The state is set to progress into Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan on Friday allowing the loosening of restrictions for retail, offices, manufacturing, barbershops and salons, tattoo parlors, summer programs, various outdoor recreation activities, and bars and restaurants for outdoor dining.
Pritzker says he received consultation from over 200 representatives of the Illinois economy to formulate the rules. “These recommendations reflect the questions and ideas brought to us by businesses of every size, background, and region in the state and by their workers which prioritize health as our guiding light. You can’t build a strong economy if people aren’t comfortable being a part of it. That includes guidelines on how to operate with social distancing, regular sanitizing and cleaning, support for vulnerable workers, on-site signage, and of course the use of face masks.”
According to the Governor’s website, Phase 3 of Restore Illinois is expected to bring approximately 700,000 Illinoisans back to the workplace. In addition to industry-specific guidelines, the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Department of Public Health developed a common set of standards all businesses must follow.
DCEO also developed a downloadable toolkit for businesses to help them re-open and comply with new guidelines. The toolkit includes signage, training checklists and other resources to help business owners and workers implement safety procedures and precautions from IDPH.
Guidelines as well as toolkits for businesses can be found on the DCEO website at this link.