Good news on reopening, but details still coming

Dear Members,

Gov. Pritzker announced some good news today with changes to his original plans for Phase 3, specifically for restaurants, but we’re still waiting on details for Phase 3 guidelines.

The entire state, including Grundy County, is expected to be able to move to Phase 3 on May 29. The Grundy Reopening Task Force, which includes the Chamber, has been working on plans to safely reopen. From the business perspective – Phase 3 includes the reopening of retail stores and salons at limited capacity. We are expecting to hear Friday what that limited capacity is and we will share with you ASAP. Social distancing guidelines, including masks, are still required. We are working on a tool kit to help reopen and will share once we have the finalized guidelines from the state.

Phase 3 now also includes allowing restaurants to open outdoor seating, on top of curbside, pick-up, and delivery services. The Governor has encouraged municipalities to work with their local restaurants on making accommodations to provide outdoor seating. As we work with our local municipalities on what this entails and what they can allow, we will let you know. There will still be restrictions – tables are to be 6 feet apart, away from sidewalks, masks worn by employees, and other safety guidelines. Again, we expect to have more details from the state on these requirements by the end of the week.

Each municipality will have to look at its ordinances and consult its officials to see what they can do and decide what they can allow. What can be done may vary from city to village, etc. We ask for your patience as our municipalities figure out how to make this work for our local restaurants. We also ask for patience as our business owners work through the guidelines and requirements for running their business in a new way.

The Chamber will continue to eblast out information, as well as continually update our website with information and resources. Grundychamber.com currently contains links to help multiple industries reopen. Please visit the “Reopening Resources” page of the Coronavirus Info section of our website.

If you have any questions, or if the Chamber can be of help for you and your business, call me at 815-715-2806 or email [email protected].

There appears to be some light shining through so today lets focus on that hope and continue to work together to stay safe and move forward.

Sincerely,
Christina Van Yperen
Grundy Chamber
President & CEO