May 5 briefing: Gov. J.B. Pritzker reveals five-phased plan to reopen Illinois during coronavirus pandemic.
As Illinois continues its phased plan to reopen, the state has been divided into four major health regions with 11 sub-regions, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday.
Pritzker says the plan will operate on a "region-by-region basis" and can be updated as the situation across the state develops.
The health regions are based on the Illinois Department of Public Health's divisions and have been in place for years, Pritzker said.
Here is how the regions have been divided:
Northeast
Region 11
- Parts of Cook
Region 8
- Parts of Cook
- DuPage
Region 9
- Parts of Cook
- Kane
- Parts of Kendall
- Parts of Lake
- McHenry
Region 10
- Parts of Cook
- Parts of Lake
Region 7
- Parts of Cook
- Parts of Grundy
- Parts of Kankakee
- Parts of Kendall
- Parts of Will
North-Central
Region 1
- Boone
- Carroll
- DeKalb
- Jo Daviess
- Lee
- Ogle
- Stephenson
- Whiteside
- Winnebago
Region 2
- Bureau
- Fulton
- Henderson
- Henry
- Knox
- LaSalle
- Livingston
- Marshall
- McDonough
- McLean
- Mercer
- Peoria
- Putnam
- Rock Island
- Stark
- Tazwell
- Warren
- Woodford
Central
Region 3
- Adams
- Brown
- Calhoun
- Cass
- Christian
- Greene
- Hancock
- Jersey
- Logan
- Macoupin
- Mason
- Menard
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Pike
- Sangamon
- Schuyler
- Scott
Region 6
- Champaign
- Clark
- Clay
- Coles
- Crawford
- Cumberland
- DeWitt
- Douglas
- Edgar
- Effingham
- Fayette
- Ford
- Iroquois
- Jasper
- Lawrence
- Macon
- Moultrie
- Piatt
- Richland
- Shelby
- Vermilion
Southern
Region 4
- Bond
- Clinton
- Madison
- Monroe
- Randolph
- St. Clair
- Washington
Region 5
- Alexander
- Edwards
- Franklin
- Gallatin
- Hamilton
- Hardin
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Johnson
- Marion
- Massac
- Perry
- Pope
- Pulaski
- Union
- Wabash
- Wayne
- White
- Williamson
Pritzker said these regions are based on factors such as access to healthcare facilities and number of beds in intensive care units, and they will not change.
Local
According to Pritzker, Illinois began phase two of its reopening plan on May 1, when a modified order took effect allowing some businesses to reopen. The earliest any location can begin entering phase three will be May 29, he said.
As for businesses that violate the guidelines put in place in each phase or open too soon, Pritzker said they risk having their "permits or their licenses removed from them."
Following Pritzker's plan, phase five will mark the time when large events, festivals, conventions and carnivals can be held. The time when that final phase can be reached is still far away, according to the governor.
"We have to figure out how to live with COVID-19 until it can be vanquished – and to do so in a way that best supports our residents’ health and our healthcare systems, and saves the most lives," Pritzker said.
