Chicago City Wire

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has imposed new restrictions and curfews on local businesses beginning Friday. 

Citing a "surge" in the number of COVID-19 cases, Lightfoot said indoor bar service will be suspended and non-essential businesses must close by 10 p.m., WGN reported. In addition, liquor sales will end at 9 p.m. Any bars, breweries and taverns without a food license are prohibited from offering any indoor service.

The city's website outlined all the new curfews. Beginning Oct. 23, the new curfews will be in effect nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Restaurants can continue to permit takeout and curbside pickup.

Face coverings are required both in all indoor and outdoor public settings.

Thursday's announcement came days after Lightfoot threatened to put restrictions back in place on the city's businesses if coronavirus cases continued to rise.

The city's seven-day average of new cases is 645, up from the 508 seven-day rolling average last Saturday, the Chicago Tribune reported. That is a "surge" according to Lightfoot.

“We are no doubt whatsoever in the second surge,” Lightfoot said, the Tribune reported. “This is what it looks like.”

Last month Lightfoot announced that bars that don't serve food could reopen for indoor service and eased rules on gyms, retailers and restaurants, the Tribune reported.

Cases have increased since then, although the mayor indicated her move to ease restrictions were not to blame.

Earlier this week, Lightfoot indicated the cold weather as one cause behind the increase in cases and said it is leading to more gatherings indoors. The Chicago Tribune reported the mayor said residents need to limit the number of people they encounter, and she also said she understands residents' “fatigue factor." But she said it is important for residents to continue to keep their guard up.

Lightfoot and city health officials, at a news conference Thursday, were joined by Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady and Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Rosa Escareno.

City health officials said coronavirus cases have risen by more than 50% over the past two weeks, WGN reported. The cases, it said, are increasing at a rate seen in March and April at the start of the pandemic. The seven-day average of cases has reached 645 cases per day as of Oct. 20. This increase has coincided with a rise in testing--more than 11,000 a day as of Oct. 15, WGN reported.