Phase Four Reopening Guidance
Thanks to the effective social distancing and public health measures observed by Illinois residents, the State will transition to Phase 4: Revitalization of the Restore Illinois plan. 

Phase 4: Revitalization will be starting today June 26, 2020. Hospitals will have the capacity to adapt to surges in COVID-19 cases, and additional measures can be taken to safely reopen spaces with social distancing policies in place. Restaurants, schools, and other public spaces can open with limited capacity, and gatherings of 50 people and fewer will be limited but permitted. Both the Governor and Dr. Ezike both cited the recent surges being seen in other states after reopening and made clear that there is a possibility that individual regions could see restrictions reinstated if case counts or other indicators increase. Dr. Ezike announced a new tool on the state’s coronavirus website that will show progress by county or region with counties in blue indicating they are remaining within acceptable transmission rates and counties exceeding recommended rates in orange.

This phase includes updates from Phase 3, and five new industry categories. Each guideline will be expected and encouraged among all employers and industries.

  • Meetings and events will be at 50% capacity OR no more than 50 people.
  • Outdoor recreation will be open at select facilities (e.g. skating rinks, bowling alleys), at 50% capacity OR no more than 50 people. Indoor dining will be at 25% capacity, with groups of 10 or fewer.
  • Museums and zoos will operate at 25% capacity, with interactive exhibits and rides closed. Groups will be limited with timed ticketing and advance ticket sales.
  • Cinema and theatre spaces will operate at 50% capacity, with outdoor seated spectator events at 20% capacity. 
  • Film production will operate at 50% capacity, or limit to 50 people.
  • Youth and recreational sports venues will operate at 50% capacity, and 20% capacity for spectators, with social distancing observed.
  • Health and fitness centers and day camps will permit water-based activities given accordance with IDPH guidelines. Camps will operate at 50% facility capacity.
  • Personal care services will require face coverings from the employees and customers. If customers must remove masks, the employees will additionally wear eye protection.
The City of Chicago has also prepared for Phase 4 : Gradually Resume phase, also effective June 26, 2020. These guidelines advise employers and residents of Chicago on how to safely reopen while maintaining social distance to prioritize the health of residents. 

  • General Guidelines include visual signage regarding proper PPE, required face coverings, available sanitation stations, and six foot indicators throughout store spaces.
  • Food service and bars should encourage contactless pay and pickup. Indoor dining will operate at 25% capacity. Face covering required of all employees.
  • Retail and services should encourage contactless payment and barriers to separate customers from employees.
  • Accommodation and tourism will include limited gatherings in common areas, restaurants and bars at reduced capacity, and frequent sanitization of high-contact areas.
  • Park and outdoor attractions will require social distancing. Face coverings will be encouraged unless participating in physical activity. Playgrounds will remain closed.
  • Arts and culture venues will be at 50-person capacity. Seating will be staggered and spread by six feet.
  • Education and child care centers will require health screenings of participating children. Parents and employees will wear facial coverings at all times. Doors and windows will be open for ventilation.
  • B2B employees will complete health screenings and wear appropriate PPE.
  • Office and real estate spaces will close high-traffic areas to avoid large gatherings.
  • Transit stations will be sanitized four times a day, and passengers are encouraged to wear facial coverings and maintain social distancing.
  • Healthcare facilities will provide sanitizing supplies. Employees are required to wear facial coverings at all times, and six foot indicators will ensure patients maintain social distancing.

Our office has compiled a full set of guidelines on our website.

If progress continues to be made, and the city reaches fewer than 100 new cases per day, capacity restrictions will be loosened further during Phase 4, health officials said. To follow along with updated metrics click here .
Reopening Our District Office

As we continue to navigate solutions to address the difficulties our shared office space brings, out of an abundance of caution our staff is continuing to work remotely. In our office set up we share space with Alderman Harry Osterman, Senator Heather Steans and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. The office is a former industrial laundromat with few windows and a poor ventilation system. Being located on busy Broadway Ave. we are also subject to many walk in visits which further add to the difficulties in finding a way to reopen that is both safe for our staff and for you. We are working with our officemates to find ways to reopen safely that also limit our in person contact with each other and others. The Chicago Department of Public Health is reviewing all aldermanic offices and making specific recommendations for each office to reopen safely. We are awaiting the outcome of that review to determine our best approach to safely reopen. Our office continues to be available by phone and email as well as video conference. Please continue to reach out for your needed services. We will announce further details on our plans to reopen the office in upcoming newsletters.
COVID-19 Count as of today:
894 new COVID cases, 41 additional deaths
31,686 tests run in the last 24 hours


If you have questions related to COVID-19 you can contact the Illinois Department of Public Health :
Hotline : 800-889-3931
Email : dph.sick@illinois.gov

City of Chicago's Department of Public Health :
Hotline : 312-746-4835
Email : coronavirus@chicago.gov
49th Ward: COVID-19 Community Testing
Alderwoman Hadden's office has coordinated free community testing events this weekend as Illinois transitions to Phase 4.

Dates and times are listed here:
Emergency SNAP Allotments: Extended for June 2020
SNAP recipients will receive additional benefits for the month of June.

Some adjustments include:
  • June 2020 emergency allotments will be made available to active SNAP households beginning 06/19/20 through 06/30/2020.
  • Active SNAP households whose regular monthly benefit amount is less the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the household size in June 2020 will receive a supplemental emergency SNAP allotment to bring them to the full maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the household size.
  • If the SNAP household has an increase in household members during June, the household will be entitled to another supplement. This supplement will be issued either through certification or identified in the weekly process to receive an additional issuance. No additional action is needed from the worker for this scenario.
  • New applications received during June 2020 will also receive a supplemental emergency SNAP allotment, if their approved regular benefit amount is less than the maximum monthly SNAP allotment for the household size even if the initial approval month is prorated.

If a client is unable to receive additional benefits, call the DHS helpline at 1-800-843-6154 or contact your local district office for assistance.

For more information on the Emergency SNAP Allotments for June 2020, click here .
Illinois Department of Human Services:
  Apply for P-EBT Now
The Illinois Department of Human Services has received federal approval to administer the Pandemic Emergency Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. This will provide funds to support families to purchase food for school-aged children and young adults who receive National School Lunch Program meals for free or for a reduced price while schools are in session.

Families will be able to apply until July 15th, 2020.


Non-Snap families can apply by following this link, Households already enrolled for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have already been enrolled for P-EBT benefits and need not apply.
Illinois Cannabis Applications Delayed: What Now?
INLabs has partnered with the Medical Cannabis Community to bring a webinar to address concerns on the delay of Illinois cannabis business licenses. The event will take place Monday, June 29, 2020 at 11am CST.

Panelists include experts in the cannabis industry:

  • State Representative Kelly Cassidy
  • Melvin Cox, an expert commercial real estate broker who specializes in representing cannabis businesses in real estate deals.
  • Christopher Stone, an industry veteran, government affairs expert and previous operator of a couple Illinois dispensaries.
  • Michael Clayton, an entrepreneur and social equity applicant who is currently going through Illinois' first round of licensing opportunities.

RSVP for a seat here . There are only 100 seats available.
Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy
State Representative, 14th District

Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

5533 N Broadway

Chicago IL 60640
773-784-2002(phone)
773-784-2060(fax)