Pritzker closes Metro East restaurant dining rooms, bar interiors, after infection rates stay

Pritzker closes Metro East restaurant dining rooms, bar interiors, after infection rates stay stubbornly high


ST. CLAIR COUNTY — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Tuesday he was closing Metro East restaurant dining rooms and indoor bars, among other COVID-19 restrictions, after the region tallied another day with a high rate of infection.

The new measures go into effect Wednesday, and represent the first in the St. Louis region to shut down bar and restaurant interiors anew, after area officials gradually began lifting early restrictions last spring.

Pritzker said in a Tuesday news release that the state will monitor positivity rates in the region over the next two weeks to determine how long the restrictions remain in place.

Restaurant owners are already worried about the consequences.

“It’s going to hurt businesses,” said Gabriel Morales, who owns Tienda El Ranchito in Fairmont City. He can seat 150 people indoors, but just 40 on the patio.

Read more: https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/pritzker-closes-metro-east-restaurant-dining-rooms-bar-interiors-after-infection-rates-stay-stubbornly-high/article_bedc0272-f549-5d3f-9c3a-e6838c4dd434.html