On January 18, Tier 1 mitigation requirements were announced for all regions with a test positivity rate of 8% or higher for three days or more. Champaign County, however, is in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois reopening plan, which allows indoor dining at bars and restaurants. So, most of the campus bars opened their doors during the weekend of January 23. That afternoon, two social media users shared on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook almost the same picture of a crowd of students in the line at the Red Lion bar.