MURPHYSBORO — Governor JB Pritzker announced Monday the increased restrictions in Region 5 of the state, which includes Marion and Jefferson counties.

Pritzker held a COVID-19 briefing Monday afternoon in Murphysboro where he announced the mitigations for Region 5.

Mitigation measures taking effect October 22 in Region 5 include:

Bars

• No indoor service
• All outside bar service closes at 11:00 p.m.
• All bar patrons should be seated at tables outside
• No ordering, seating, or congregating at bar (bar stools should be removed)
• Tables should be 6 feet apart
• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
• No dancing or standing indoors
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table
  Restaurants
• No indoor dining or bar service
• All outdoor dining closes at 11:00 p.m.
• Outside dining tables should be 6 feet apart
• No standing or congregating indoors or outdoors while waiting for a table or exiting
• Reservations required for each party
• No seating of multiple parties at one table
  Meetings, Social Events, Gatherings
• Limit to lesser of 25 guests or 25 percent of overall room capacity
• No party buses
• Gaming and Casinos close at 11:00 p.m., are limited to 25 percent capacity, and follow mitigations for bars and restaurants, if applicable

These mitigations do not currently apply to schools.

The Region on Monday hit its third straight day of average positivity rates above 8 percent (8.5, 9.1, 9.1), which sent it into mitigation.

Southern Illinois on Monday had a rolling positivity of 9.1 percent and an increase in COVID-related hospitalizations.

Pritzker points to neighboring states of Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin and Iowa as making it difficult for Illinois to keep its number down. He says those states have positivity rates in the double digits and some nearing almost 25%.

He did say, however, that a new statewide stay at home order is not in the cards and he’s sticking to regionalization and targeted mitigations.