“While we see a safer pandemic landscape than in April and May, in terms of positivity, hospital capacity and community spread, and we are much safer than other states across the Midwest, things have changed. Every region across the state has started to move in the wrong direction. Cases, positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths are rising statewide,” Pritzker said.

Over the weekend, Southern Illinois triggered a fail-safe by reaching a rolling seven-day positivity rate over 8%. On Monday, that rate sat at 9.1% for Oct. 16, the latest day for which data was available. Hospital admissions also are increasing across the region.

According to a news release from Illinois Department of Public Health, the mitigation measures include: 

Bars

• No indoor service
• All outside bar service closes at 11 p.m.
• All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
• 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
• No dancing or standing indoors
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Restaurants

• No indoor dining or bar service
• All outdoor dining closes at 11 p.m.
• Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart
• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table

Meetings, social events, gatherings

• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25% of overall room capacity
• No party buses
• Gaming and casinos close at 11 p.m., are limited to 25% capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable

Region 5 includes Marion, Jefferson, Wayne, Edwards, Wabash, Perry, Jackson, Franklin, Williamson, Saline, Hamilton, White, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Massac and Pulaski counties.

According to the IDPH news release, businesses and communities in Region 5 will receive priority consideration for the current round of Business Interruption Grants due to the greater restrictions.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who accompanied the governor to Murphysboro, addressed some misconceptions of COVD-19, saying many of those who died are people in their 70s and older, but every week Illinois is reporting the deaths of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

“The point is the virus is serious. We are still continuing to learn about it, so I don’t want anyone to have a false sense of security because they are young or don’t have known medical conditions that they have nothing to worry about. We all need to be thinking and to be concerned about this virus,” she said.

Dr. Craig Davis, system director of hospitalist medicine for Southern Illinois Healthcare, called the disease “a completely unpredictable and formidable foe.”

On Monday, SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and SIH Herrin Hospital were treating 28 COVID-19 patients, with one on a ventilator. None of those were residents of long-term care facilities.

Since March, SIH has admitted 255 COVID-19 patients ranging from age 18 to 102, including 131 men and 124 women. Of that total, 42 were residents of long-term care facilities. The hospitals have seen 33 deaths of patients ranging from age 40 to 95.

Every official who spoke on Monday said each resident can help lower the region’s numbers of positive cases by wearing masks, following social distancing recommendations, washing hands frequently and getting a seasonal flu shot.

"My appeal to each of you is simple. Wear a mask. Pause large gatherings. Practice social distancing. Wash your hands frequently. Please consider these short-term sacrifices for the greater good. The enemy is the disease, not each other,” Davis said.

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