- Credibility:
CHICAGO — The city has released guidelines for how businesses can reopen in Phase 3.
The guidelines were released online Tuesday and include information on how a variety of places — including offices, restaurants and child care facilities — can reopen once the city enters Phase 3. That’s expected to happen in early June, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said last week.
The guidelines cover eight work and entertainment sectors, giving them rules for how they’ll operate. For example, children must have health screenings before they can enter a classroom and offices should have impermeable barriers between workspaces if that’s possible, among other things.
The guidelines also say outdoor dining will be allowed at restaurants — though there will be an application process. Outdoor dining will include rooftops, rooms with retractable roofs and rooms where 50 percent or more of a wall can be removed through the opening of windows, doors or panels.
The guidelines cover:
- Education and child care
- Office and real estate
- Accommodation and tourism
- Food service
- Retail
- Business-to-business
- Health care
- Parks and outdoor attractions
The city’s website says it will “highly encourage” employers to do an online self-certification process to show they’re following the guidelines. To do that, they’ll need to read the city’s industry guidelines, create a reopening business plan and complete a survey that will be made available Wednesday.
The website also has resources for employees so they can learn about worker protection and labor laws.
The state released similar, albeit more detailed, guidelines over the weekend.
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