Governor J.B. Pritzker has rolled out the Illinois reopening plan, while Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has announced a separate framework for the Chicago metro area. After two months of lockdown, only seeing each other in car parades and during 8pm howls, giving our kids quarantine haircuts, and throwing virtual birthday parties, we finally have an Illinois reopening plan. We will (eventually!) be able to get out and enjoy some of the long-awaited warm weather.
The Restore Illinois plan divides the state into four regions and includes five phases. May 1 saw the beginning of Phase 2, a mostly stay-home-phase, with the reopening of some state parks. Locally, the Protecting Chicago plan also has five phases and is also currently in Phase 2. In positive news, Illinois regions beyond the metro area continue to flatten the curve and are on track to enter Phase 3 of reopening May 29. Chicago is close behind and expected to start reopening sometime in June. Read on to find out what this means for families, schools, and local businesses, as well as what outdoor spaces we can now visit, those reopening soon, and those that are still closed.
To enter Phase 3, we need to keep meeting certain milestones, which means continuing to socially distance and wear face masks. If you develop symptoms, find out how to get tested, and be sure to steer clear of close contact, particularly with vulnerable populations.