More Restrictions Loom In Region 2 With Positivity Rate at 14.6%

KENDALL COUNTY, IL — The positivity rate in Region 2 hit new highs after a week of additional coronavirus restrictions on restaurants and bars, according to public health data.

Statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health show the positivity rate in Region 2 — which includes Kendall County — hit 14.6 percent Wednesday, its highest point of the pandemic.

At 14. 6 percent, the region's positivity rate is more than twice as high as it was Oct. 10 (5.5 percent), according to the state's data.

Kendall County's positivity rate is at 14 percent as of Friday, according to IDPH statistics. The county also reported its single-day record number of coronavirus cases on the same day, according to the Kendall County Health Department.

Public health officials and Gov. J.B. Pritzker imposed restrictions earlier this month on the region after it recorded a positivity rate above 8 percent for three days in a row. The new restrictions ban indoor service at bars and restaurants and a limit social gatherings to 25 people.

The region's positivity rate has been above 8 percent since Oct. 27, public health data shows.
Restrictions will be lifted when the region records positivity rates under 6.5 percent for three days in a row, while public health officials will add more restrictions if the regional positivity rate remains above 8 percent after 14 days with additional mitigations.

If the region triggers "Tier 2" of the IDPH's mitigation plan, additional restrictions at bars and restaurants would limit party sizes to six people instead of 10.Gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, would be limited to 10 people, though that does not apply to students learning in person or to sports.

Groups participating in organized recreational activities will also be limited to 10 people, but that restriction does not apply to fitness centers, according to the IDPH's plan.