City of Chicago announced that Chicago has made sufficient progress in the fight against COVID-19 to ease certain restrictions on businesses. Effective Thursday, October 1st, new guidelines for businesses will come into effect that will expand indoor capacity to 40 percent for certain businesses, reopen bars for indoor service, allow restaurants and bars to serve alcohol until 1am, increase maximum group sizes for fitness classes and after-school programming and allow personal services that require the removal of masks. Effective Thursday, October 1st, at 5am, the following guidelines will come into effect: 

• Increased Indoor Capacity: Restaurants, health and fitness centers, personal services, non-essential retail and all other establishments that have been limited to 25 percent indoor capacity will now be able to increase their maximum indoor capacity to 40 percent. The limit of 50 total customers within one room or space at restaurants, venues and other establishments will remain in place, as will the limit of no more than six people per table.  

• Reopening of Bars: Breweries, taverns, bars and other establishments that serve alcohol without a food license may reopen with indoor seating, at 25% capacity or 50 people, whichever is fewer. Service remains limited to no more than two hours per party, and customers must be seated when eating, drinking or ordering – patrons cannot walk up to the bar to order.  

• Extended Hours for Bars and Restaurants: Bars, restaurants and other establishments that serve alcohol will now be able to sell alcohol for on-site or off-site consumption until 1:00 am and may remain open until 1:30 am. Liquor stores, grocery stores and other establishments that sell alcohol to-go through a Packaged Goods license must continue to cease alcohol sales at 9:00 p.m.  

• Increased Group Size: Maximum group size for health and fitness classes and after-school programming will increase from 10 to 15 people. 

• Expanded Personal Services: Facials, shaves and other personal services that require the removal of face coverings will be allowed.