CHICAGO – Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford (D-Maywood) is celebrating the July 1 increase to the state’s minimum wage, believing it will help working families navigate the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So many families are struggling right now,” Lightford said. “Though minimum wage workers may count themselves lucky to have jobs while a great deal are unemployed, they still deserve to make a living wage. This increase takes them closer to that goal.”

The state’s minimum wage increases to $10 per hour July 1, the second in a series of increases required by a law Lightford passed last year after many years of hard work. That law requires the wage to increase by $1 on Jan. 1 of each year going forward until it reaches $15 per hour in 2025.

Lightford also has pushed back against business leaders who have used the pandemic and its associated economic downturn to try to repeal or delay the law.

“Minimum-wage earners hadn’t seen a raise since 2010,” Lightford said. “While I understand and sympathize with struggling small businesses, we can’t ask these hard working women and men to wait for their pay to go up. They’ve been waiting too long already.”

Lightford’s law controls the statewide minimum wage. Some communities, including Cook County and Chicago, have set higher local minimum wages, a move Lightford commends.

The Illinois Department of Public Health partnered with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and other education officials across the state to formulate practical and effective guidance to help schools and colleges resume instruction in the coming months.

Here are a few changes you may see at your child’s school this fall:

• Face masks will be required.
• Assemblies and other gatherings of more than 50 individuals will be prohibited.
• Social distancing will be practiced whenever possible.
• People entering school buildings may be subject to symptom screenings and temperature checks.
• Schools will ramp up cleaning and disinfection procedures to ensure all areas are safe for students and staff.

Each school district will determine how to implement these rules based on their individual needs and available resources. The complete guidance for K-12 schools can be found here.

Colleges and universities have also been provided specific recommendations, including mask requirements, the installation of hand sanitizing stations and regular symptom monitoring. Even with these changes, colleges expect dormitories, cafeterias, libraries, bookstores and other amenities of college life to remain available to students. The Illinois Community College Board has developed a separate plan for community colleges to facilitate a return to campus.

For students preparing to pursue higher education this fall, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission is offering free one-on-one assistance and other online resources to help navigate financial aid programs. Families can also sign up for a free text messaging service to get reminders for important deadlines and answers to college planning questions.

To make sure all schools can meet these guidelines and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency will provide public K-12 districts with 2.5 million cloth face masks for all students and staff.

Although this transition won’t be easy, it’s vital students stay engaged in learning—enabling in-person instruction is the first step toward ensuring a full recovery for our schools after the COVID-19 crisis.

As a result of social distancing measures, mask requirements, and other health and safety precautions, the statewide COVID-19 positivity rate continues to fall. Illinois is on the road to recovery.

All four regions of the state are currently on track to move into Phase 4 on June 26, which is expected to bring 400,000 Illinoisans back to work. That means gyms, movie theaters, museums and zoos will resume operations, and restaurants can reopen their dining rooms. Gatherings of up to 50 people will be allowed.

The Illinois Department of Public Health collaborated with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and over 150 businesses across the state to formulate practical and effective Phase 4 guidelines for every industry to keep workers and customers safe.

Here are some activities you can expect to resume in Phase 4:

• Venues, meeting spaces and select indoor facilities (including bowling alleys, skating rinks and clubhouses) can reopen with 50% room capacity or for groups of up to 50 people.
• Restaurants can resume indoor dining for parties of up to 10 people, as long as tables are 6 feet apart and standing areas are limited at 25% capacity.
• Museums and zoos can reopen with up to 25% occupancy. Interactive exhibits and rides will remain closed, and guided tours should be limited to 50 people or fewer per group.
• Movie theaters and cinemas can allow admission of up to 50 guests or 50% room capacity. Outdoor theaters can operate at 20% capacity. Concessions will be permitted, with some restrictions.
• Outdoor spectator sports can resume with no more than 20% seating capacity.

Some industries will be able to expand operations during Phase 4:

• Youth and recreational sports venues can operate at 50% facility capacity, and 20% seating capacity for spectators. Practices, tournaments and other competitive gameplay can resume with limited interaction between groups.
• Health and fitness centers can reopen at 50% capacity, and indoor fitness classes of up to 50 people can resume.
• Water-based activities are permitted at day camps at up to 50% facility capacity, with group sizes limited to 15 participants.

Retail, service counters, offices, personal care services, manufacturing and other industries allowed to reopen in Phase 3 will continue to operate at current capacity. To make it easier for business owners to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers, DCEO has released a new set of industry-specific downloadable materials for Phase 4.

Keep in mind: Face covering and social distancing requirements will remain in effect.

Thanks to the efforts of so many Illinoisans, our state has made tremendous progress in the fight against COVID-19. But we can’t relax just yet—it’s vital that we continue to social distance, wash our hands and wear masks to prevent a resurgence in cases.

For information on the status of COVID-19 in Illinois, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov—the site is updated continually to ensure you have access to the latest and most accurate statistics.