Takeout was a take-away from the Glenview Chamber of Commerce meeting
Order takeout.
That was a key take-away during a remote discussion hosted Tuesday by the Glenview Chamber of Commerce, updating viewers on cold-weather COVID protocols for restaurants and businesses.
Protocols may have changed between when the meeting was scheduled and when it took place.
As of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, suburban Cook County restaurants and bars are limited to outdoor service and carryout, as mandated by the Illinois Department of Public Health's COVID-19 "resurgence mitigations."
Barring further action, the indoor closure in the IDPH's Region 10, which includes Glenview, extends through Nov. 11, noted Gina Speckman, Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director, during the discussion.
Mitigation measures were triggered after seven straight days of test positivity and eight straight days of hospital admissions increases. Criteria pertaining to hospital bed availability remained above the 20% threshold.
For restaurants and bars, indoor seating, standing and congregating are banned, though outdoor tents with at least two open sides are permitted if certain parameters are met. Fully enclosed tents are treated the same as indoor spaces, said Jeff Brady, the Village of Glenview's director of community development.
Bars and restaurants will be closed by 11 p.m. Reservations are required.
These rules will be lifted once the Region 10 positivity rate falls to no more than 6.5% for three straight days, with a similar three-day decrease in COVID hospitalizations. The other criteria are three-day averages of at least 20% for ICU bed availability and medical/surgical bed availability. Midweek, those percentages were at 33% and 27%, respectively.
Should the positivity rate average greater or equal to 8% after 14 days, more mitigations may occur, Brady said.
Glenview Planning Manager Jeff Rogers attempted to lighten the situation by stating that, in these parts, 70% of the day sees sustained temperatures above freezing from November through February. Glenview normally closes its outdoor dining program Nov. 30, he said, but to help restaurants the period has been extended through March 15, 2021.
To help shore up restaurants and businesses, the North Shore Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Glenview Chamber of Commerce are presenting varied programs, including an online shopping guide, a "deal of the day," a promotional effort through Facebook and, specific to Glenview, shopping opportunities at Wagner Farm on Dec. 5 and 12.
"We are crossing our fingers that this (positivity rate) is going to come down," said Betsy Baer, Glenview Chamber of Commerce executive director. "If everybody masks up and stays home for a little bit, we will get the positivity rate down and we'll be able to reopen. That's our hope and prayer. This is really tough, really tough.
The Village of Glenview offers information on the new mitigations, a link to the Restore Illinois Resurgence Plan and an update to its "Back to Business" guide on the front page of the village website, www.glenview.il.us.