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IDPH Announces Region 5 Moves into Tier 1 Mitigation – Limited Indoor Dining

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Region 5, southern Illinois (Alexander, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union, Wabash, Wayne, White, Williamson), has met the metrics to move out of Tier 2 mitigations and into Tier 1 mitigations, which will allow limited indoor dining.

“I am excited to see southern Illinois move into Tier 1 mitigations and I encourage them to continue to practice personal protective actions so they can get back to Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.

“This should serve as motivation for other regions. However, I do want to caution that moving back through tiers does not mean abandoning your mask or attending large events and gatherings. We must continue to watch our distance and wear our masks and get vaccinated when it we become eligible.”

Tier 1 Chart from the Illinois Department of Public Health. Courtesy of the IDPH

Tier 1 requires a region to meet the following metrics:

1) A test positivity rate below 8% for three consecutive days, as measured by the 7-day rolling average; AND
2) Greater than or equal to 20% available staffed ICU and medical/surgical hospital beds for three consecutive days, on a 3-day rolling average; AND
3) No sustained increase in the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19 for seven out of 10 days, on a 7-day average.

Beginning January 16, 2021, staffed ICU and medical/surgical hospital beds will be based on a 7-day rolling average to help stabilize the numbers and reduce the variations associated with natural hospital admission trends.

Regional COVID-19 metrics can be found on the IDPH website at http://www.dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics.

For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.