#Illinois mandates masks at bars and restaurants when interacting with staff

Illinois has expanded its mask mandates for bar and restaurant workers, requiring all patrons to wear a face covering while interacting with any establishment employee in indoor and outdoor settings — that includes when orders are being brought to the table and during carry-out pickups.

The changes come as the state is grappling with an uptick in cases after fending off an initial surge that hit the state in mid-May.

“We all want this pandemic to end and get back to normal,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote on Twitter after announcing the new policy, which will take effect Wednesday.

“If everyone would wear their mask in public and keep a reasonable distance from one another,” he went on, “we can reduce infections and deaths and keep them low until a vaccine is discovered.”

Pritzker said he’s tried to craft a policy that will keep the struggling restaurant industry afloat while also trying to tamp down on the spread of the virus.

“Restauranteurs and bar owners want to remain open for business, and this new requirement will help keep people safe while moving the economy forward – that’s a goal we all believe in,” he added.

The state however will be moving to roll back bar, restaurant and casino operations in Will and Kankakee counties after they surpassed the state’s threshold for acceptable positivity rates, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The new order will suspend indoor dining and bar operations in the counties while also mandating 11 p.m. closures for those establishments.

There have been more than 224,800 reported coronavirus cases in the state, as well as more than 8,100 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data.