This Is What The City Wants Bars, Restaurants, Salons And Stores To Do Before They Can Reopen

CHICAGO — The city is putting strict capacity limits on restaurants, salons and other businesses as they reopen in Phase 3, which Chicago is expected to enter in early June.

But what will a socially distant summer look like?

This week, the city released guidelines for various businesses on how they can open while protecting customers and staff.

There are common guidelines — like requiring people to wear face coverings, wash hands and clean often — but each industry also has different guidelines from the city and state.

Salons will have to decommission some of their work stations if they can’t maintain 6 feet of social distancing between customers, for example, and gyms will only be able to do one-on-one training indoors. There are also rules of conduct for outdoor activities.

The full guidelines can be found online, but here is a look at some that may impact your life this summer:

Restaurants And Bars

• There must be 6 feet between tables and “close choke points.”
• Tables should be decommissioned or a physical barrier should be put up between tables if they can’t be moved.
• There should be impermeable barriers in places where social distancing is not possible, like at counters, registers, etc.
• Clearly mark any areas where guests or employees queue (like bathrooms) with appropriate physical distancing guidance.
• Limit gatherings to no more than six people per table
• Read more here.

Stores

• There should be 6 feet between people and close choke points.
• Provide 6-foot markers in any areas where guests or employees queue or congregate.
• If practical, provide impermeable barriers where 6 feet of social distancing is not possible.
• Limit capacity to 25 percent for non-essential retail, 50 percent for essential retail for all indoor spaces (excluding staff).
• Limit gatherings of employees and customers in choke points (like meeting rooms and cafeterias) to no more than 10 people while ensuring 6 feet of social distancing.
• Sanitize fitting rooms after each use.
• Clean and sanitize public bathrooms hourly.
• Read more here.

Salons, Barber Shops And Other Personal Services

• Ensure all areas allow for 6 feet of social distancing.
• Decommission every other workstation if not able to allow for 6 feet of social distancing.
• Provide impermeable barriers where 6 feet of social distancing is not practical, like at checkout counters.
• Limit capacity to 25 percent for all establishments (excluding staff).
• Limit gatherings of employees and customers in choke points to no more than 10 individuals while ensuring 6 feet of social distancing.
• Read more here.

Gyms And Fitness Clubs

• Ensure 6 feet of social distancing between all individuals, including during one-on-one training.
• Provide adequate space outdoors for cardio and class exercises to ensure 6 feet of social distancing.
• Restrict indoor use to one-on-one training, with total indoor use limited to 25 percent capacity.
• Close ancillary accommodations, like locker rooms and saunas, to prevent gatherings.
• Restrict outdoor fitness classes to no more than 10 individuals while ensuring proper social distancing.
• During physical training, face coverings must be worn by all participants and trainers.
• Read more here.

Commercial Offices

• Encourage social distancing of 6 feet or more in common areas like lobbies, elevators and hallways.
• Limit the number of employees returning to work.
• If possible, vary start and stop times for people returning to work to promote social distancing conditions.
• Limit gatherings of people in cafeterias, meeting rooms, tenant lounges and other gatherings points to no more than 10 people.
• Close all gathering areas where social distancing cannot be achieved.
• Limit capacity to no more than 25 percent for indoor spaces or activities with occupancy restrictions, ensuring social distancing.
• Where possible, use contactless building check-in or verification.
• Read more here.

Parks And Outdoor Attractions

• Ensure social distancing in larger public spaces via dedicated staff where appropriate.
• If applicable, control gate/entry of attractions.
• Use physical barriers (like temporary gates) to help regulate the flow of foot traffic in choke points.
• Remind runners, joggers and walkers with signs to maintain 6 feet of social distancing while exercising.
• Limit outdoor activities to non-contact sports only, and close off other courts and fields.
• Limit gatherings to no more than 10 people in large public and private outdoor spaces via dedicated staff.
• Limit capacity to 25 percent at all times for complementary indoor components for outdoor attraction facilities (like field houses and bathrooms), including during bad weather (unless barring people from shelter would create a safety hazard).
• Read more here.

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 here this week.

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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