Adam Kolls and Jason Michalski wait for lunch while dining under a tent at Rosie's outdoor dining in the 100 block of North Main Street on Oct. 2, 2020.
BLOOMINGTON — Limited indoor dining is allowed once again in McLean County. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced Sunday that Region 2 of the Restore Illinois mitigation plan has met the metrics to move out of Tier 2 mitigations and into Tier 1 mitigations.
Region 2 includes McLean, Livingston, LaSalle, Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford and 14 other counties.
Under Tier 1, indoor service is limited to 25% capacity of a restaurant or bar that serves food or 25 persons per room; and no tables exceeding four people indoors. Outdoor, delivery and takeout service continues under updated hours.
Meetings, events and gatherings can include up to 25 guests or 25% capacity; and most recreation, fitness centers and outdoor activities can resume.
On Saturday night, the IDPH announced that Region 5 was eligible to move into Tier 1 mitigation measures. Region 5 includes several southern Illinois counties.
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 seven-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 three-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 seven-day average.
“We have been watching the signs for a month now and our county and our region have made great progress,” McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight said on Friday before the announcement. “We have maintaining that 20% capacity in ICU and our hospitalizations have been decreasing as a region. Today, our regional positivity was 8.1% and it was over 12% a while back. We have definitely made progress, but we still have a ways to go. We encourage everyone to continue to work hard, but we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Photos: How Bloomington-Normal persevered through COVID-19
Masks of honor
Bagpiper Roger Troxel, left, and Retired Colfax Fire Chief Lou Saunier wore masks while gathering at the McLean County Museum of History as the community remembered Pearl Harbor Day, Monday, Dec. 7, 2020.
Ringing the bell
Tim Tufte, left, of South Bend, Ind., dropped off a donation with retired Bloomington Fire Department Chief Brian Mohr as Mohr rang the bell for The Salvation Army on Nov. 27, 2020, at Eastland Mall in Bloomington.
Salute to heroes
Active and retired Bloomington and Normal firefighters give a final salute during a 9/11 remembrance event at the firefighters' memorial in Miller Park on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020.
'Retired Crew' helps Habitat
Jim Funcheon, left, a retired Bridgestone Americas employee, and Terry Kidd, a retired William Masters employee, wear face masks as they install soffit venting Wednesday, July 15, 2020, on the new Habitat for Humanity of McLean County house at 812 W. Washington St., Bloomington. While social distancing is usually adequate to protect workers from the coronavirus at most construction sites, working in close proximity is more safely done wearing masks, they said. The house is being sponsored by the Rotary Club for the Walls family. Gary Klass, a retired Illinois State University professor, Funcheon and Kidd call themselves the "Retired Crew" as they've made second careers volunteering to build Habitat homes in the Twin Cities.
Co-worker parade honors retiree
Celia Buschor, right, hugs her mother, Jeanne Buschor, as they watch a parade of State Farm workers drive by Jeanne's apartment Friday, April 3, 2020, after she retired from the company during the coronavirus pandemic. Buschor retired after 36 years as a business analyst. Her co-workers staged the parade because they were unable to celebrate the day due to the stay-at-home order.
Birthday for a veteran
Air Force veteran Butch Ekstam gathered signatures for a birthday card for Francis Nolan, as a convoy of veterans were escorted by police as they wished Nolan a happy 98th birthday, Thursday, May 14, 2020, at his home at 2812 Phillip Place, Bloomington.
Children remembered
Molly Evans, director of the Children’s Advocacy Center, said the center even provides birthday party boxes for potential sexual assault victims, Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.
We're still fishing
Elena Serrano, 8, of Bloomington, concentrates on catching a big fish to celebrate her birthday as she and her family fished at Miller Park lagoon on Friday, July 3, 2020.
A day to be remembered
Paul McNamee, right, has the time of his life Thursday, June 25, 2020, as 43 cars parade past his house at 804 Parmon Road, Bloomington, to celebrate his 96th birthday. Many of the "guests" were fellow members of Holy Trinity Catholic Church or family. McNamee is a veteran who served in the medical corps during World War II. At left is his great-grandson, Jack Jefferson, 8, his daughter, Maggie Jefferson and his granddaughter Casey Jefferson, who arranged the parade.
Staying in line
Parents lined up in the parking lot of Grove Elementary School to deliver their children for the first day of school, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. Parents were not allowed to enter the school due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Thank goodness for cash on hand
Dan Stephens, Illinois State University vice president for finance and planning, analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on university finances in an interview Monday. Stephens said the university's balance of cash on hand has helped it weather the impact of the coronavirus.
Fashion for the times
Illinois Wesleyan University sophomore Alex Seehuus, a computer sciences major from Bloomington, twirls her "Veiled Hat" entry in the school's COVID Runaway Fashion Show on Ames Plaza, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. Some 21 2D design students entered the fashion show that intended to showcase whimsical creations inspired by social distancing in the time of the coronavirus.
Fighting to survive
Mike Hill, owner of Maguire's Bar and Grill in downtown Bloomington, takes inventory on Friday. Hill said bar and restaurant owners have few resources left to stay in business as COVID-19 restrictions prevent inside dining and weather outside begins to turn frigid.
Clawing their way back
Molly Bradle take a food pickup order at Rosie's in downtown Bloomington on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. Bradle, one of the owners of Rosie's, called the new COVID-19 restrictions "a crushing blow."
Sharing the news
Antywan Jones, left, talks with Bob Waszake in Uptown Normal on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. Both said they believe in wearing masks to fight COVID-19. "I'm overweight and over 60 and I'd probably die if I got it," said Waszake, who was waiting for The Rock Restaurant to open. Jones was in line for a seat at Shorty's Barber Shop.
Bringing nature along
Town of Normal horticulturalists Nathan Bair, left, and Bobby Jones, discuss future plans they have for Hidden Creek Nature Sanctuary, Friday, Nov. 6, 2020.
Going up
Trent Orr, a carpenter for Cleary Building Corp. of Clinton, sorts through 2x4s as he uses a man lift to finish off the roof for a pole construction warehouse building being built for Kirk Wood Products, 10424 E. 1400 North Rd. in west Bloomington, Monday. The 5,400 square foot building will be completed in about two weeks. Mild late Fall weather has been a blessing to contraction workers trying to finish several projects across the area.
Building Ameren towers
A massive rebar cage that will serve as the metal reinforcement for a concrete foundation to support high-voltage transmission towers is being assembled Tuesday at Illinois 9 near Rivian Parkway on Bloomington-Normal's west side. The 52-foot-long foundation will support towers being built by Ameren Illinois subcontractor Poettker Construction of Breese. Work started in May on a $30 million Ameren Illinois project running a 10-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line between a substation near Carlock and another in northeast Normal to improve service reliability.
Repairing Market Street parking deck
Jon Evans, a carpenter with Local 2214 of St. Louis, under contract to Tarlton Construction of St. Louis, begins to tie off new rebar steel as he and a crew of workers begin repairing deterioration of the city of Bloomington's Market Street parking structure on Tuesday in downtown Bloomington. Workers identified structural beams that have lost integrity due to age and weather and are making repairs until winter-like weather arrives.
Ameren project progressing
Matthew Lister, an Ironworker from Local 112 in East Peoria, attaches a piece of rebar on Thursday to a 52-foot-long steel foundation that will support one of four metal utility towers being built on West College Avenue in far west Normal, near the Rivian plant. The rebar cage will be buried and filled with concrete for the foundation. Poettker Construction of Breese is the sub-contractor for Ameren Illinois. Work started in May on a $30 million Ameren Illinois project running a 10-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line between a substation near Carlock and another in northeast Normal to improve service reliability.
Renovation continues at Bone Student Center
Mike Rickman, a staff member with Illinois State University's volunteer services, center, watches as CORE Construction employees continue their work Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, on the Bone Student Center renovations. Rickman, who distributes ISU Redbird face coverings to students, said that a number of factors may be leading to fewer students seeking testing in Bone Student Center the past few days. President Larry Dietz said Thursday that limiting the spread of the virus continues to be a high priority for the 2020-21 school year.
Contact Kevin Barlow at (309) 820-3238. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_barlow
