PEORIA, Ill. — A local plan to Governor J.B. Pritzker has been revealed.
Several mayors around central Illinois and the Peoria City/County Health Department have gathered to create the Heart of Illinois reopening plan.
“This plan was driven by the health department,” Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis said.
The plan is supported by local hospitals.
Peoria City/County Health Administrator Monica Hendrickson said the plan focuses on an 11 county region: Bureau, Fulton, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, McLean, Peoria, Putnam, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford.
Voluntary compliance has been important in helping the health departments in controlling the virus.
The Heart of Illinois plan will be three stages.
“What the Heart of Illinois plan includes are three stages that encompass the three phases of flattening, recovery, and revitalization of the governor’s plan,” Hendrickson said.
Hendrickson said the local area clearly sits in phase three of the governor’s plan, for the last 11 days.
“Depending on the entity, we are asking for variations to maybe bring forward something that might not be seen until phase three of recovery earlier in a stage,” Hendrickson said. “Likewise we might also have things within a stage that align exactly with what the governor’s public health approach is as well.”
Moving between stages, Hendrickson said, is assessing the readiness on four capabilities.
“The healthcare system (40%), public health (30%), mitigation or PPE ‘personal protective equipment’ (15%) , and then community engagement (15%),” Hendrickson said.
The healthcare system includes the number of ICU beds and non-ICU beds being used to treat COVID-19 and other associated equipment such as ventilators.
The plan states: “The Heart of Illinois Implementation Plan acknowledges that the timeline is dictated by the pathology of the virus. That is why readiness to transition will be assessed in four areas of capability at a minimum of three weeks (two 10-day average incubation periods) before we move to the next stage.”
Throughout the local plan, social distancing and face coverings are required for all three phases.
In phase one, small indoor venues could operate at 50% capacity and parks and trails could open 100%.
Phase two will allow small indoor venues to operate at 75%, and all playgrounds would open up.
Then phase three is open to allowing small indoor venues to open to full capacity, mass transits, and all large outdoor venues will be reviewed.
“The plan is to continue to move forward,” Arids said.
A look at the three stages of the Heart of Illinois reopening plan:
Peoria City/County Health Department
A link to Monica Hendrickson’s presentation can be found HERE.
A link to the full plan send to Pritzker can be found HERE.
