SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — It’s a day 15 months in the making.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health have officially announced Friday will be the start of Phase Five of Restore Illinois, titled “Illinois Restored,” A.K.A. a full reopening.
“It’s really exciting to be at this point, which doesn’t mean the pandemic is over. Unfortunately, we’re seeing places around the world that are, in fact, surging, as we are thinking about getting things back to normal. But really for today, for now, for this summer, we can get back to doing so many things we missed out on over the last year,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
“It means we get to abandon the capacity limits that have told us how many people can be in a site or a venue, or how many people can gather for a function.”
Pritzker said the state looked to be on track to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of 70% of all adults with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4.
More than 68% of residents age 18 and older in Illinois have received at least one dose of vaccine and 51% of adults are fully vaccinated. Additionally, more than 88% of Illinois seniors have received at least one dose of vaccine.
Mask requirements for vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals continue to align with CDC guidelines.
