ILLINOIS (WAND) - Gov. JB Pritzker and other Illinois officials are urging businesses to comply with health guidelines as Americans celebrate the 4th of July.
Ahead of the holiday weekend, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) and Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) communicated with local authorities and business owners with encouragement about following public health guidance. Businesses were also reminded of enforcement actions that can be taken if they don't.
The ILCC directed its commissioners to exercise authority granted under the Illinois Liquor Control Act to issue cease and desist warnings - and orders, if necessary - based on Phase 4 safety requirements. Commissioners are allowed to issue a written order temporarily ceasing a liquor license and closing a business with no hearing for up to seven days if it "is operating in violation of the law by threatening the welfare of the community."
IGB's communications with video gaming locations, terminal operators and casinos reminded them of consequences they can face if they don't comply with health and safety requirements. These can go up to having a license revoked.
Those letters are attached to this story.
Law enforcement is also taking action, with Illinois State Police working closely with local departments and state regulatory agencies on what the governor's office called an "incremental approach." This will begin with education and warnings and, in the case of repeated and egregious violations, lead to potential fines and the suspension and revocation of licenses.
“The virus is not taking the holiday weekend off, and neither can we. Letting our guard down now would fly in the face of the progress we’ve made over many months,” said Pritzker. “We have seen that mitigation measures have worked in our state and we’ve seen too many other states rapidly lose ground in the fight against the virus. If establishments cannot abide by capacity requirements, I will not hesitate to close them to keep people safe.
We must continue to take the proven steps that keep us safe: wear a face covering, watch your distance and wash your hands. While other parts of the country are refusing to follow the science and seeing their positivity rate and hospitalizations increase, Illinoisans have come together to keep each other safe. Let’s keep being all in for our communities.”
Illinois officials pointed out some states are seeing large COVID-19 case increases, with outbreaks identified among younger adults. Some states have had to resume mitigations and closures after previously attempting to open.
COVID-19 has caused serious complications and death among younger adults, the governor's office said, while acknowledging that younger adults may not face outcomes as severe as older adults.
The public is urged to stay as safe as possible.
“Bars, by design, are social settings where people gather closely together for extended periods of time. Additionally, people often need to raise their voices or shout to be heard, which means droplets from seemingly well but infected individuals could spread further than the recommended 6 feet of distancing,” said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. “All of these factors increase the risk of transmission and can lead to more cases and outbreaks. Over the holiday weekend, we strongly urge people to be socially responsible and avoid crowded bars and restaurants. If you do go to one of these venues, please make sure to keep distance between yourself and others and wear a face covering.”
“In recent days, we have seen cities and states nationwide slide backwards in their re-openings,” said Sam Toia, President and CEO, Illinois Restaurant Association. “We cannot allow this to happen to restaurants and bars in Chicago and across Illinois. We have launched a social media campaign – 'Covered Faces Keep Open Places' – to urge restaurateurs, bar owners, employees, and diners to strictly follow local and state public safety guidelines during the holiday weekend and beyond to ensure we stay on a steady path to reopening our economy.”
