The Vine Will Heed State Order, Remain Closed
GRAYSLAKE, IL — While many Lake County restaurants and bars have decided to defy an order by the state to nix indoor dining for now, one popular downtown Grayslake establishment says it will stay the course and continue to remain closed.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, owners of The Vine - Martini and Wine Bar said they recently sat down with the Lake County Department of Health to discuss allowing customers back inside with limited capacity in place.
"After a long discussion, we were advised that indoor dining is still not permitted in Lake County based on the current mitigations set by the state," according to the statement.
The Vine, in its statement, said it would heed that advice and remain closed. The restaurant is offering carryout and delivery options.
"We passionately believe with the continued support of everyone and our hard work throughout this pandemic, we will come out of this stronger than we were before," according to the statement. "Our main priority right now is the safety of our staff and our customer service. We look forward to one day opening back up and being able to invite everyone back in to enjoy indoor dining with us."
Region 9, which includes Lake and McHenry counties, currently has Tier 3 mitigations in place. In order to reopen indoor dining under the Restore Illinois plan, the region would need to be in Tier 1.
On Friday, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that only three of the 11 regions are elligible for a reduction in restrictions and move to Tier 2. Region 9, which has been under Tier 3 mitigations for six weeks, was not one of them.
To move to Tier 2, a region needs to keep the seven-day rolling average of COVID-19 test positivity below 12 percent for three days in a row, keep the seven-day average of the number of COVID-19 patients in the region's hospitals declining for seven out of the previous 10 day and keep three-day rolling average percentage of available staffed surgical and intensive care unit beds both above 20 percent for three days in a row.
As of Jan. 13, Region 9's seven day rolling average of COVID-19 test positivity rate was 8.9 percent and the seven-day average of the number of patients in the region's hospitals had declined the past eight out of 10 days. But while intensive care unit beds was over the 25 percent threshold — just barely, with 25.3 percent available as of Jan. 13 — medical and surgical bed availability remained below that benchmark.
Tier 2 allows for the return of indoor fitness classes, reopening of cultural institutions, gatherings of up to 10 people group, recreational activities with up to 25 people and lower-risk youth sports.
To move to Tier 1, a region needs the rolling average of test positivity to fall below 8 percent for three days, as well as no "sustained increase" in coronavirus patients for seven out of 10 days. The hospital bed requirement remains the same.
This article originally appeared on the Grayslake Patch
