Chicago is expected to enter phase three of its reopening plan on June 3, the city's mayor announced Thursday.
It's the first time residents have learned a date as the city nears the start of its next stage.
"On Wednesday, June 3, the city of Chicago will take our first step into phase three of our reopening process," Lightfoot said in an address Thursday.
The date is later than the rest of Illinois, which is set to enter phase three on Friday, one day before the end of the statewide stay-at-home order.
Phase three means the loosening of many restrictions that have been in place for weeks across the state. Several businesses will be allowed to reopen, with new guidelines and limitations, and small gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed.
Lightfoot said city services, such as parks and libraries, won't reopen until June 8.
The mayor said the city plans to stagger start and end times for businesses.
"Our hope is during phase three, we'll be able to open other parts," Lightfoot said, noting the potential reopening of the lakefront and its beaches.
"But we'll have to wait to see how these initial first steps go," she added.
The mayor warned, however, that the city is prepared to take steps backwards if reopening further leads to another surge in cases.
"Let's be clear: under no circumstances should our move to phase three be confused with this crisis being over, because it's not," she said.
Lightfoot had announced last week that the city would not be ready to enter phase three until early June, but repeatedly declined to offer a date.
"I don't think it's mid-June, I think it's early June," she said last week, adding that she sees it happening before June 10 and sometime in the "single digits."
Still, industry-specific guidelines for the city's plan were released earlier this week, detailing plans to help childcare centers, non-lakefront parks, libraries, offices, hotels, outdoor attractions retailers and more open their doors when the city does enter its next stage.
