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SPRINGFIELD, Ill.– The Metro East is moving into Tier 2 mitigations starting today. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced region 4 saw improved metrics and could loosen its restrictions.

“With all regions of Illinois now out of Tier 3, we can now see that the entire state is headed down the right path,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.  restrictions.

There is still no indoor dining allowed during Tier 2 mitigation. However, meetings and social gatherings can have groups of 10 people, and sports and fitness centers could open with limited capacity.

“We have been 100 percent curbside for months,” Renane Eicholz, Co-Owner Cooper Fire Restaurant in Belleville, said. 

Here is a list of what is allowed during Tier 2 according to IDPH’s website:

IDPH will continue to monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. A region could move backwards if the numbers start rising.

The next step for region 4 would be to move into Tier 1. The region needs to accomplish these metrics for that to happen.

Moving from Tier 3 to Tier 2
o Test positivity rate = 8% and below 12% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
o Staffed ICU bed availability = 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
o Sustained decline in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days) 

Moving from Tier 2 to Tier 1
o Test positivity rate between 6.5% and 8% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
o Staffed ICU bed availability = 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
o No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days) 

Moving from Tier 1 to Phase 4
o Test positivity rate = 6.5% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
o Staffed ICU bed availability = 20% for three consecutive days (7-day average); AND
o No sustained increase in COVID patients in hospital (7-day average for 7 of 10 days) 

Information about mitigation and resurgence metrics can be found on the IDPH website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics.